June is National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month. Chronic migraines (CM) are debilitating and symptoms are worse than just a throbbing headache. Sufferers can become nauseous, dizzy and fatigued, and often are unable to work during “headache days.”
Approximately 3.2 million Americans have CM, which is a distinct neurological disease, defined as having 15 or more headache days each month, with bouts lasting four hours or longer, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
In May, the FDA approved a new class of medicine, erenumab, developed and approved for the prevention of migraine attacks. Erenumab medicines inhibit CGRP (calcitonin gene related peptide), implicated in migraines.
For more information about headaches and migraines, visit the Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients (CHAMP); www.headachemigraine.org.
