Whether you know it or not, you're sharing that migraine you're suffering from.
At least that's what a new study is claiming as researchers have found that most chronic migraine sufferers admit that their headaches do indeed have a big impact on family relationships, activities and sexual intimacy.
Lead author of the study, Dawn Buse, clinical psychologist and director of behavioral medicine at Montefiore Headache Center in New York City, explains the basis for conducting study, saying, "I hear firsthand about the tragic effect that chronic migraine has on every aspect of people's lives, including work and home life."
Thus Buse felt strongly that she wanted to quantify that information to find to what degree the entire family was affected when one member suffers from migraines. She explained that people that don't suffer from migraines don't fully understand how debilitating the condition can be.
"It's very important to bring this data to light, to show that chronic migraines are burdensome and difficult, not only for the people who live with it but also for the people they love," Buse added.
In gathering the data for the study, Buse and her team gathered nearly 1,000 migraine sufferers, 812 of which were women. Those chosen, along with their immediate families, answered a web-based questionnaire.
The chronic migraine sufferers admitted that they often have feelings of guilt, worry and sadness about how their headache suffering affects their families. Close to 75 percent said the feelings of guilt arise because they know they are more irritable and more easily annoyed and angered due to the migraines.
Missing family activities, vacations and get-togethers due to the suffering was also cited as a major way the migraines had a negative effect on family life. The study found that this type of family-oriented activity is missed by sufferers up to seven days out a typical month.
The research was scheduled for presentation June 27 at the American Headache Society's annual scientific meeting in Los Angeles. The study hasn't yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, so it should be viewed as preliminary.
In the U.S., more than 37 million people suffer from migraines. Some migraine studies estimate that 13 percent of adults in the U.S. population have migraines, and 2-3 million migraine suffers are chronic.
Almost 5 million in the U.S. experience at least one migraine attack per month, while more than 11 million people blame migraines for causing moderate to severe disability.
