By Seymour Diamond, MD letter
Let’ s Start the Discussion
Y
OU CAN GET HELP. YOU DON’ T HAVE TO SUFFER IN SILENCE. That’ s the advice I’ ve been giving headache patients for years, and it’ s the philosophy I founded the
National Headache Foundation on decades ago.
Approximately 12 % of Americans age 12 and older suffer from migraine— that’ s about 29.5 million people— and nine out of 10 migraine sufferers report they can’ t“ function normally” when a migraine strikes. Those numbers don’ t even include the full spectrum of headache disorders, including tension-type headaches, cluster headaches, new daily persistent headaches, allergy headaches, post-traumatic headaches and the list goes on. In other words, if you’ re reading this in a waiting room, look around— one of your cohorts is probably a headache sufferer.
For too long, headaches have been underestimated and made the butt of jokes. Millions of people are suffering, and the public, health care professionals— sometimes even people’ s own families— don’ t fully understand the problem. When people miss work or social engagements because of a headache, they’ re often labeled as unreliable or flaky. But the reality is even mild to moderate headaches can be disabling. It’ s time for us to remove the stigma from headache disorders and get the problem out in the open.
For years, the NHF has been working to create an environment in which headaches are viewed as a legitimate health problem. Sufferers should be able to confidently seek treatment from professionals who understand their affliction. But there’ s still a tremendous need for reliable headache information. That’ s where Head Wise magazine comes in.
This quarterly publication will cover a variety of topics of interest to the headache and migraine community, such as diet, fitness, research, triggers, treatments and advice. The magazine will be sent to our members as well as to health care facilities, putting the NHF and Head Wise in front of more than 80,000 patients, potential patients, physicians, families and loved ones. It will also give us a tremendous opportunity to reach out directly to you and discuss the issues and topics that matter most. To help us in this effort, the magazine has a companion website, headwisemag. org, which strives to be the ultimate online resource for headache and migraine information.
If you’ re a headache sufferer, or the loved one of a headache sufferer, there is help out there. You don’ t have to feel angry or alone because your health care professional, friend or employer doesn’ t understand what you’ re going through. Find a physician who is interested in your problem and dedicated to treating headache patients. And be persistent until you get the help you need.
Head Wise magazine and headwisemag. org will be with you every step of the way.
It’ s time for us to remove the stigma from headache disorders and get the problem out in the open.
Seymour Diamond, MD Executive Chairman, NHF Board of Directors, and Director Emeritus and Founder, Diamond Headache Clinic
www. headwisemag. org | National Headache Foundation 1