Australian headaches
September 4, 2012
SIXTY-seven percent of head pain
sufferers are women, according to
the preliminary findings from the
headache.com.au survey (PD 13 Jul).
The survey is open to all
Australians, and is set to run until
the end of the year.
The focus of the survey is the
types of headaches and migraines
Australians suffer, as well as the
success rates of various therapeutic
successes.
According to the survey’s
preliminary results 75% of
participants are migraine sufferers,
whilst 25% suffer headaches.
In addition, 75% of respondents
were found to be aged between 20
and 59, with the largest group
being 40-49 years old.
54% of migraine sufferers on
prescribed medications were using
Sumatriptan; whilst 46% migraine
sufferers on OTC meds were using
ibuprofen & 46% paracetamol/
paracetamol+codeine.
The survey also found that headache
sufferers were predominantly using
OTC meds, often ibuprofen.
Interestingly, neck problems were
common in 50% of headache and
migraine sufferers; whilst stress
was cited as the second most
common cause.
Speaking about the survey, study
head Dr Jerome Dixon said
“Take a modern lifestyle involving:
environmental, dietary issues and
repetitive sustained postures at
work and add to that stress,
genetic, lifestyle and neurophysiogical
issues- and you have a
very common recipe”.
“The fact is that most sufferers
can be helped by looking for
underlying causes, usually not
pathology, but poor functionality,
leading to irritability in the head,
neck, jaw, or even systemically,” he
added.
Results of the survey will be
published in January 2013.
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