Headache is often Under-diagnosed
Nearly everyone experience headache at some time in their lives. Yet, it is under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-treated. There is good evidence that very large number of people disabled by headache do not receive effective healthcare. The illness that could be easily relieved remains as the burdens — both individual and societal — persist unnecessarily. Headache disorders, including migraine and tension-type headache, are among the most prevalent disorders of mankind. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, updated in 2004, migraine on its own was found to account for 1.3 percent of all years of life lost to disability worldwide. Other headache disorders, collectively, may be responsible for a similar burden. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), worldwide, about 50 percent of people with headache are estimated to be primarily self-treating, without contacting health professionals. Experts identified lack of training and education of medical professionals, poor awareness, non-availability to appropriate medication are the reasons behind the scenario. Only four hours are committed to headache disorders in formal undergraduate medical training, and lack of education is seen as the key issue impending good management of headache. Healthcare for headache must be improved, and education is required at multiple levels to achieve this. Most importantly, healthcare providers need better knowledge of how to diagnose and treat the small number of headache disorders that contribute substantially to public ill-health. Despite there being a range of drugs with efficacy against headache, countries in all income categories identify non-availability of appropriate medication as a barrier to best management. This probably refers to limited reimbursement of drugs used to treat headache. Financial costs to society through lost productivity are enormous; far greater than the healthcare expenditure on headache in any country. Another practice hinders people form seeking treatment from professionals is the unnecessary cost involved in diagnosis. Study revealed that investigation rates, mainly for diagnostic purposes, are high, despite those investigations are not always needed to support diagnosis. Headache disorders are ubiquitous, prevalent, disabling and largely treatable. Much is unknown about the public health impact of these conditions. The issue needs to be addressed properly to diagnose and treat headache at professional level and relief people from unnecessary pain and disability due to headache.
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