One in five Greeks suffers from it heachache according to the experts, who, on the occasion of World Headache Day, analyze the symptoms and the causes that trigger them.
Professor of Neurology at EKPA and Head of the Department of General Emergency Neurology at the General Hospital of the Municipality of Mitsikosta, and President of the Hellenic Headache Association, Elena Barbagianni, spoke to ERT about the huge problem that concerns millions of people around the world, headaches.
“Headaches do not threaten our lives, but they rob us of precious moments,” Mitsikostas said on the occasion of World Headache Day, celebrated on September 12. Speaking about the impact of headaches on patients’ quality of life, he explained that a daily headache can have more serious consequences on daily life than other diseases that do not affect quality of life in the same way.
“When you have a migraine, you are not a functional person. You stay at home, you isolate yourself and you cannot meet your professional and personal obligations.” She also explained that migraines can be influenced by several factors, such as hormones, climate, sleep and diet, while she stressed that in most cases there is also a heredity,” added Mrs. Barbagianni, president of the Elliniko Headache Association.
Caution when using analgesics
According to Mr. Mitsikostas, daily use of painkillers can worsen the condition and the appearance of headaches.
“The daily use of painkillers increases the intensity, frequency and duration of headaches. You are in a vicious circle,” he noted. As he recalled, the Association’s recent epidemiological study showed that 70,000 Greeks suffer from chronic migraines due to the excessive use of drugs, making the issue a serious public health problem.
“Migraine is the most common and most disabling disease among people under fifty,” Mr Mitsikostas noted.
What can you do?
Seeking help from headache specialists is essential as new treatment options are now available.
“Migraine remains underdiagnosed, even by patients themselves,” Mitsikostas said, adding that seeking medical help is critical to its treatment.
As for medications, Ms. Barbagianni said her life has been radically changed by taking monoclonal antibodies for the past six years. “Prevention of migraine is now possible and the quality of life has improved significantly,” she said.
Finally, Mitsikostas stressed that migraine affects mostly women, although there are no clear reasons for this.
“Migraine is a female thing,” she commented with a smile, explaining that factors such as the genome and the environment play an important role in its onset.