2017 summer brainwaves newsletter

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brainWAVES The Newsletter of the Brain Foundation

Summer 2017-2018

Brains, pains and migraines How well do you know yours? Imagine for a moment that you were diagnosed with diabetes. Would you listen to your doctor’s advice and follow a treatment plan? Or, would you leave the surgery thinking that you could look after your own health? Asthma can be life threatening. It requires careful treatment and constant care. If your child was diagnosed with Asthma, wouldn’t you treat them medically as you were advised? Would you think that you didn’t need the doctor’s help to keep your child healthy? Now, think about being diagnosed with Migraine. Many of you are – as much as 15% of the population – or possibly even higher. (Exact figures in Australia have not been ascertained). Yet, only 2% of people diagnosed with migraine used a preventative in the last year. Only 5% who suffer chronic migraine have an adequate diagnosis and treatment. Now, that would mean a large number of people diagnosed – DO NOT FOLLOW A MEDICAL PLAN! They are going it alone and treating themselves, and this can lead to chronic medication overuse headaches as well as the migraines.

Does that sound like a plan? Maybe not a very good one. Migraine is not a trivial problem and is often not recognised as a neurological disorder. It is more common than diabetes and asthma combined and has similarities to epilepsy. It is really important is that you get a proper assessment, diagnosis and management plan. There can be a few physiological reasons for migraine and it is important that you get as accurate as possible diagnosis as this then affects the treatments offered. Remember that you often don’t get things right the first time and the first medication offered may not be the one which treats you the best. Improve your health literacy – seek treatment, seek control! To help raise awareness, we encourage all sufferers to join our Headache Register. It is free and you get access to wonderful information and webinars from leading practitioners in Australia.

Our thanks to A/Prof Susan Tomlinson, from whose presentation during Headache Week, these statistics have been taken. To see the full discussion via the webinar, e-mail for more details.

Summer 2017 Edition Welcome to our Research Gift Awards edition. We hope you enjoy reading about the projects being undertaken by these enthusiastic researchers.

The Directors and Staff of the Brain Foundation would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our supporters, donors, fundraisers and corporate sponsors and the many neurologists and neurosurgeons who are available to help and advise us. Without you, we could not do the work that we do.

Only 2% of

people diagnosed with

migraine used

a preventative

in the last year.

Only who suffer

5%

chronic

migraine adequate

have an

diagnosis

and treatment. We wish everyone a very happy, relaxing and enjoyable Christmas and holiday period. The Brain Foundation office will be closing over the Christmas and New Year period. Your receipts will be issued in January 2018. Thank you for your understanding.

Contact the Brain Foundation PO Box 579, Crows Nest NSW 1585 Telephone: 02 9437 5967 or 1300 886 660 Email: info@brainfoundation.org.au Visit our websites brainfoundation.org.au and headacheaustralia.org.au


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2017 summer brainwaves newsletter by Brain Foundation - Issuu