By Aqsa Anjum and Sumiran Preet Kaur

Photo: Jaishree


“The pain is unbearable once it starts”, says Nuzhat Begum, a young teacher in Kucha Nahar Khan’s MCD school in Old Delhi who has been suffering from migraine for last ten years। “I ignored it initially but after some time it became unbearable. Soon I was under medication. Though I still get those pangs, but it is not that unbearable.”


Areeba Saeed, a student of Presentation Convent School is another victim of the pain.“During my boards exams, I suffered from anxiety. I used to remain awake at nights and this led to extreme pain in the right side of my head,” points out Areeba. Her mother Zakira Saeed ignored it thinking of it as a routine headache. But constant pain made her realize that it was not a normal headache compliant. Eventually Areeba started vomiting। Her case was severe.


“Refusing to recognize the symptoms is what leads to the problem,” points out Dr. Ajay Rohatgi , an MBBS doctor who owns a private clinic in Daryaganj. “It is a lifestyle disease that can affect anyone. Young generation of today are more prone to it due to their tedious lifestyles, stress and competition,” he adds . “Common triggers of migraine include heat, stress, and lack of sleep or food. But nowadays emotional changes in behavior can also influence the functioning of the brain stem. Migraine is also seen as a family tendency in few cases।”


Recognize the symptoms

The International Headache Society has come up with symptoms of migraine. These include headaches which usually last for between 4 and 72 hours (untreated). The patients will also have at least two of these symptoms:
-one-sided pain
-severe pain
-moderate to severe pain that interrupts your normal life
made worse by physical activity


DR. Parvez Akhtar, a physician who owns a private clinic in Yamuna Vihar says , “

A migraine attack is a chain reaction between nerves due to inflammation of certain nerves that can trouble a person to great extent। The cause of migraine has to do with a breakdown of communication in body with breakdown in communication between nerves.”


Look for Cure

One should not avoid migraine as a mere headache .It should be prevented before it worsens. According to Dr Rohatgi, “It can be cured by avoiding certain food and drinks which have the ability to trigger migraine in a person. Take light food especially bland food . Take lots of water. Avoid hard drinks and soft drinks. Meditation and exercise are good as they calm down the nerves. It is also advisable to sleep in dark room and take adequate rest. No worry is worth your peace of mind.”