New poll of Danes finds migraine already begins in childhood
One in seven Danes suffer from migraines, and in around half of all cases symptoms already begin in childhood.
Auras, nausea, splitting headaches, impaired speech – symptoms of migraine attacks are many and severe. One in seven Danes suffer from migraines, and in around half of all cases symptoms already begin in childhood or adolescence. Two thirds receive no help other than over-the-counter medication to alleviate this debilitating disorder.
These are the conclusions of a survey performed by international analytics group YouGov for the Lundbeck Foundation. The survey reveals the extent to which the migraine patients among the respondents suffer from the disorder, how often they have attacks, how they experience them, what they do to handle an attack, and how those around them react to and perceive migraine sufferers.
According to the survey, many migraine sufferers have several attacks a week, and four out of ten say that an attack can last more than four hours. Many also have attacks lasting several days.
Despite the huge impact on the life and quality of life of the sufferer, many have never consulted their GP. And even if they have talked to their doctor, two thirds of the migraine sufferers among the survey respondents manage their pain with over-the-counter medication and have devised their own ways of handling an attack – usually, simply by closing the curtains and going to bed. Although the people around them are fully aware of the seriousness of migraine as a disorder, many sufferers are reluctant to disturb their doctor. They think other people merely regard migraine as a bad headache.
‘This survey by the Lundbeck Foundation is excellent and much-needed. It supports and adds to the results we’ve already gained from our epidemiological surveys. I’m thrilled to see that the survey shows that migraine is more accepted than we thought – relatives of sufferers show empathy and understanding. This is a new development. Unfortunately, it probably only applies to the affected families. On the other hand, the survey also indicates that patients, and perhaps even many GPs, don’t make use of the therapies available,’ says Jes Olesen, professor and expert in headache disorders, who was a winner of the Lundbeck Foundation Brain Prize this year – the first Dane ever to receive the award.
The survey was conducted online by YouGov between 29 April and 2 May 2021, based on a representative sample of 1008 Danish adults over the age of 18.
The Lundbeck Foundation is the organisation behind the world’s largest brain research prize, The Brain Prize. This year, the prize and the DKK 10 million (approximately EUR 1.3 million) that accompany it go to four leading neuroscientists, including Professor Jes Olesen from Denmark, for their tireless and ground-breaking research on migraine, which has led to new therapies for the benefit of the many people across the world who suffer from the disorder. To be more precise, the WHO estimates this figure to be one billion.
The Lundbeck Foundation grants more than half a billion Danish kroner every year to brain research at Danish universities. The Foundation’s focus on the brain is fuelled by the urgent need for new knowledge about the brain and its disorders. The cost of brain disease paid by patients and their relatives is immense. What’s more, novel research by Aarhus University estimates that the financial burden of brain disorders on society amounts to more than DKK 100 billion annually.
Migraine is one of the world’s most common and debilitating disorders. The WHO estimates that it affects one billion people across the globe.
1 in 5 women suffer from migraine, while 1 in 15 men are affected.
There are typically two types of migraine:
- Migraine without aura and migraine with aura
Many people mistake migraine for a passing headache. However, four criteria must be met for a headache to be classified as migraine:
- You must have had at least 5 attacks during your life
- Attacks must last between 4 and 72 hours
- You must experience at least 2 of the following pain symptoms: Pain in one side of the head only, throbbing pain, medium to severe intensity of pain, and worsening pain when you move.
- Accompanying symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, auras, extreme sensitivity to touch, and impaired speech.
Source: Jes Olesen
