"People deserve to get a proper diagnosis and adequate treatment."
(LISA K. MANNIX)
Q: What are clues that your primary care doc is not taking your headaches seriously?
A: Primary care providers are incredibly busy and they have to know such a huge amount of disorders and treatments. It's part of the patient's responsibility to help them take it seriously. Provide headache calendars, meet and ask questions about the medications or new medications, ask "Am I someone who should see a headache specialist?" They may be very grateful and refer you. Part of it is you taking it seriously as well.
Q: Why do we understand so little about what specifically causes headaches?
A: Isn't that amazing? We're trying better to understand it. The sensitive nervous system works best when there is consistent stability in its internal environment. The whole concept is that nerves are being triggered into excitable firing because they are at a lower threshold.
Q: Do you think there is growing awareness that headaches are a serious medical condition?
A: I think there is, and I think it's because we've got science behind it now. Headaches have been thought of as being all in your head. Organizations like the National Headache Foundation are helping. We've had an increase in public figures, sports celebrities, TV and movie personalities who have been willing to come out and talk about their migraines. That all raises awareness, but I think we have a ways to go.
