Migraine is underdiagnosed and undertreated

Migraine is a common neurovascular disorder characterised by attacks of head pain that are typically unilateral and often described as severe and throbbing in association with nausea and sensitivity to sensory input, i.e. light, sound and head movement. The headaches typically last 4-72 hours, up to 31% of migraineurs have aura on some occasions. Migraine is commonly episodic. With an increasing intake of painkillers, patients often complain of an escalation of migraine attacks or a transformation to a chronic daily background pain with exacerbations. Acute painkiller use, both prescription and OTC, should be enquired about in all cases and medication overuse headache suspected and managed if patients are taking any acute painkiller excessively. Migraineurs should be encouraged to have regular habits. Regular sleep, exercise, meals, work habits and relaxation will be rewarded by a reduction in headache frequency. NICE guidelines recommend adopting the stepped-down approach to management. They suggest a combination of a triptan, NSAID or paracetamol, and an anti-emetic taken as early as possible during the headache. The decision to commence a preventative agent should depend on a combination of attack frequency, duration and severity, as well as response to abortive therapy and patient preference.