Smash hit

Huge life changes sometimes banish migraine completely. When my father got sudden-onset dementia in extreme old age, overnight I became a full-time carer on a high alert state and my migraines vanished for months. Dad had told me his headaches had stopped when he was 50 and I’d hoped the menopause would do the trick, but it didn’t, though the migraines are slightly less apocalyptic. Alas, now 60, a week without the threat of a headache is still a rare treat.

The peculiar thing about migraine is that you feel in some way defined by it. A case of flu is just flu. But migraine somehow enters your identity. We’re known as migraineurs: an inappropriately stylish term for a gang of party-poopers who can hardly face the light of day. We migraineurs, it has been speculated, are overconscientious perfectionists. Well, it fits me. I was an ambitious child and nowadays I feel responsible for everything and everybody.

And I’ve rewritten this piece 99 times. Significantly perhaps, it’s the left side of the brain that controls words and my migraines are nearly always left-sided. Perhaps having what it takes to be a migraineur means that you have what it takes to be a writer. Either way, bring on the mists of autumn.

Sue Limb’s latest book Zoe and Chloe: On the Prowl is published by Bloomsbury, £5.99

Migraines and genes

There is strong evidence that some kinds of migraine – the type that cause debilitating headaches and light flashes (“auras”) - are inherited. The cause seems to be gene mutations passed between generations that affect the way brain cells communicate, according to researchers at McGill University in Montreal.

Geneticists at the University of California, Los Angeles, produced the first evidence that migraine with aura is a hereditary condition. They are seeking to isolate the gene that predisposes some people to migraine.

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have carried out studies indicating that while migraine with aura is probably determined by genetic factors, migraine without aura is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as stress.

Does your head hurt?

What is it? A migraine is a recurrent severe one-sided headache often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Attacks usually occur at intervals and can last three days. They are preceded by early warning signals, such as changes in mood, energy, behaviour and appetite. Some people also experience flashes of light, known as an “aura”.

Who does it affect? About six million people suffer from migraine in the UK. First attacks usually occur during puberty, but can afflict children as young as 2.

What causes it? The cause is unknown. The pain may be a result of blood vessels in the brain narrowing and opening again.

What can be done to prevent it? It is important to identify personal triggers and it is a good idea to keep a diary of attacks.

Where to find out more The Migraine Action Association; www.migraine.org.uk , 01536 461333

Anne Corbett

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