One of the worst and best things a headache specialist/neurologist ever told me was something like this:

“Do you know how incredibly lucky you are that your husband has stuck by your side through all of this?  Most marriages could never survive everything yours has withstood.”

It was the best because it reminded me how much my family loves me.

It was the worst because it reminded me that I have put my family through so much, that it becomes not a normal fact, but an astonishing fact that they are still with me.  This thought makes me sick to my stomach.

When I was 18 and engaged, I didn’t yet have my diagnosis of Migraine Disease – that wouldn’t come until later.  I did have other diagnoses however, including one that was potentially life threatening and disfiguring.  I had Lupus.

I actually got my Lupus diagnosis while back in Oregon planning our wedding, and it came from a dermatologist I had visited for odd “spots” that were causing minor scarring.  They were spreading across my face and down my chest.

I was horrified.  And scared. 

I loved my fiance’ enough that I felt the only right thing to do was to release him from his promise to marry me.  I couldn’t bear the thought that I would be the one responsible for dragging him into a life where everything was going to be so hard.  A life where he lived with the burden of a wife, instead of the gift of a wife was not what I wanted for him or for myself.  I didn’t know what else to do, so I called it off.

He wouldn’t let me call it off.  I loved him so much that I let him talk me back into it, but not a day goes by that I don’t wonder if he has ever wished himself back.  If, knowing what he knows now, he would have married someone else instead of me.

There are days now that I remind him that he had the chance to get out of life with me and didn’t take it.  It tends to be our own little private joke (until now anyway!)   But there is a sense of seriousness as well.

We have been married nearly 29 years now.  It’s sometimes difficult at this point to tell where he leaves off and I begin.  On one hand, we drive each other crazy with our differences, but on the other hand we know each other so well and are such good partners in this life, I would be lost without him.  It hasn’t always been that way though…

In the beginning he didn’t understand.  We fought.  We made up.  Always, there was the knowledge in the back of my brain that I knew the next time I couldn’t get something done or be somewhere on time we would be fighting about it again. At first we agreed to disagree, but eventually he began to understand what I was living through.  It took about 20 years to happen, but it did.  We loved each other enough to work it out.

I have many friends with Migraine Disease who have not been as lucky as we have been.  I’ve seen marriages dissolve, families become estranged from one another, and relationships fall apart.  I’ve seen my partnerless/spouseless friends hurt because they know that it is going to be much more difficult for them to find happiness because of this monster they can’t control.

Being chronically ill makes people selfish.  It’s the nature of the beast and I don’t know anyone who is immune to it – myself especially.  I forget that my spouse had no idea what he was going to be in for when he married me.  I forget that he worries and works so hard because he’s married to a chronically ill wife.  On those rare occasions when we truly have a fight, I forget that sometimes he’s lashing out because of the frustration he normally won’t let me see.  I am used to being protected that way.  If he lashes out at me, I take it personally and have to remind myself that he’s being hurt by my illness too.

I have never asked my spouse if he would have made the same choice then if he knew everything he knows now.  I’m not sure I really want to know that answer.   Right now, I’m just happy that he loved me enough to stick with me and is strong enough to put up with me

One thing I did notice is that – because of my Migraine especially – anything related to my chronic illness is a very touchy subject.  It’s super easy to set me off because I feel so guilty about everything I have put my family through.  Just because I know intellectually that this is hard on him too, doesn’t mean I feel it when he’s getting angry or frustrated over something.

I guess what I’m saying is, relationships are really hard.  They take work every hour of every day.  I had to learn how to fall in love with my spouse every day when I wake up in the morning.  And yes, it is a conscious choice.  You know how they say ‘hindsight is 20-20’?  It’s true.  And the toughest part of that is that you have to make it through the mess to turn around and realize it was worth it in the first place.

Do you have a spouse that has stuck with you through your Migraine Disease?  Do you have any encouragement for those that might be going through an especially bad time right now? 

You’ve made it through some rough times with your spouse.  How does that make you feel?  Have you talked to your spouse about it?

I was feeling a little run down the day of the panel, but not particularly worked up or nervous. My migraine had been teasing me off and on for a couple of days, but it hadn’t settled in and I hadn’t had to take any medications to control it. It just hung out on the periphery, letting me know it would jump in at any moment if I made the wrong move. So I drank plenty of water, made sure to eat well, and felt pretty sure I could keep it at bay.

While on the panel, which lasted for about 1.5 hours, I think I was well-prepared and didn’t have any major flubs. I was doing well and wasn’t sweaty-palmed or shaky. But as we got farther into our discussion, I noticed that my body temperature felt slightly elevated and that my neck was a little uncomfortable. By the time we wrapped things up a little before 6 PM, I felt decidedly worse. No headache or nausea, thankfully, but ill at ease and tense all the same.

About a week later, I went to a meeting of community organizers and, after speaking to the group a handful of times about my points of view, I could feel that same heat creeping up on me. By the time I walked out of the evening meeting, I felt really hot and my neck was achy again. A migraine was sneaking up on me just as it had tried to when I was at the booksellers conference

So what gives here? Is public speaking a trigger for me? I am guessing I should engage in some mindful meditation or light cardio before I next have to speak to a group. It’s feasible that I am continuing a pattern I had as a child and teenager, where I wasn’t aware I was stressed until I actually got ill with migraine. Does anyone out there have a story similar to this? Do you get nervous or anxious without being fully aware of it? If so, how do you cope with it?

Some people have an inherited autoimmune disease called celiac disease. People with celiac disease have a reaction in their intestines from gluten that reduces the body’s ability to absorb food nutrients. When eating foods containing gluten these individuals will experience digestive complaints, like diarrhea, be unable to gain weight, and have problems related to poor nutrition.

Avoiding gluten results in the intestines being able to repair themselves so food can be properly absorbed. It’s estimated that celiac disease affects about 3 million Americans. The diagnosis is made by testing for specific antibodies and a biopsy of the intestine.

Later this year, an article will be published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, clarifying the differences between celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten sensitivity. Here’s a synopsis:

• Celiac disease has been linked to increased risk for cancer and other autoimmune disorders and the only proven treatment is a gluten-free diet.
• Wheat allergy is an allergy to wheat, improved by avoiding wheat. Avoiding other gluten-containing foods, like rye, barely, and oats, is not necessary.
• Gluten sensitivity is not linked to a higher risk for cancer or other autoimmune diseases.
• A gluten-free diet may improve symptoms for patients with celiac disease, wheat allergy, or gluten sensitivity.

Because of the obvious health benefits for people with celiac disease from eating a low-gluten diet, researchers have wondered if gluten intolerance may affect other medical conditions, including migraine. Here’s a snapshot of a few recent studies:

• In 2003, Italian researchers screened individuals with migraines and a control sample for celiac disease. Celiac disease was identified in 4 percent with migraine (four of the 90 patients tested) and less than 1/2 of one percent of the controls. When the four migraineurs with celiac disease followed a gluten-free diet, their migraines improved.
• In 2005, doctors from Spain reported the case of a woman with infrequent headaches who started getting daily headaches, occasionally accompanied by abdominal pain and diarrhea. After carefully evaluating her lifestyle at the time of this change, it was recognized that her dramatic increase in headaches coincided with a dietary change where she had added several wheat biscuits to her morning breakfast. Eliminating the biscuits resulted in a return of her headaches to occurring only infrequently.
• In 2009, researchers at the University of Marburg screened patients with celiac disease proven by intestinal biopsy for symptoms of nervous system disease. Most of the patients were women (86 percent). All participants were following a gluten-free diet. One in three individuals with celiac disease reported having migraines. (In a normal population sample, about one in five women and one in fifteen men have migraines.)
• In 2011, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences researchers screened a group of children with migraines and a comparable group without migraines for celiac disease. Positive testing for celiac disease was found in 2 percent in both groups, showing no increased risk among those with migraine.

These studies highlight that there may indeed be a link between gluten and migraine, although the jury is still out on how strong of a link there might be and whether a gluten-free diet may be beneficial. People with gluten sensitivity, wheat allergy, or celiac disease may experience an improvement in both digestive and other health symptoms after following a gluten-free diet. Most studies, however, are needed before a gluten-free diet will become a general recommendation for most people with migraines.

Much like migraine triggers, identifying all of the potential migraine symptoms can be challenging. Many times we find ourselves wondering – could this be because of my migraines? We’ve asked our team of advocates to share their personal experience with a wide array of symptoms… several of which may seem unrelated to migraines.

Migraine Symptoms

Anger & Irritability
Brain Fog
Depression
Neck Pain
Photophobia
Scalp & Hair Pain
Tinnitus & Migraine
Transient Aphasia

Symptoms Overview
Migraine Phases
Symptom Map

From the Blog

Select a Story The Many Symptoms of Migraine Yawn yawn yawn Allodynia & Central Sensitiziation In A Word: My Most Frustrating Migraine Symptom

Symptoms will vary from person to person – however it is important to identify your symptoms. Because there is no specific test for migraines, keeping track of symptoms is key in the diagnosis of migraines.

A Migraine attack can have up to four phases, and each of them has many potential symptoms. Not everyone experiences all four phases or all of the symptoms, and one Migraine attack can vary from the next. Some symptoms can occur during more than one phase. You should be aware of the four possible phases and some of the potential symptoms of those phases.

It is important to discuss all of your symptoms with your doctor as they could (1) be related to other underlying conditions (2) help identify triggers (3) help you treat early by identifying the early stages of a migraine.

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience a severe pain or symptom that you’ve never felt before, it could be a sign of a serious medical condition.

Highlights

Depression
Social Anxiety Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Panic Disorder Overview
Agoraphobia Overview

Popular topics

Mental Health: Disability
Mental Health, Migraine & Exercise

Other Articles

Select an article Managing Migraines & Relationships Choosing Forgiveness – the Eighth Emotional Stage Parenting Tips

Depression is a mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness and despair, fatigue, changes in appetite, loss of interest in once pleasurable activities, thoughts of suicide, poor concentration, and aches and pains that do not go away with treatment. While almost everyone feels down from time to time, depression is much more consuming and difficult to overcome. It interferes with your ability to do the things you want and need to do in your life.

In 2009, researchers presented a study regarding the relationship between major depressive episodes and migraine disease at the joint meeting of the International Headache Congress and American Headache Society.

According to Psych Central: “A person who suffers from a major depressive episode must either have a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities consistently for at least a 2 week period.”

Researchers used data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS) to examine the relationship between depression and migraine. Survey participants who had never experienced major depressive disorder at the beginning of the study were divided into groups based on migraine status to try to determine whether a history of migraine disease posed a significant risk of development of a major depressive episode.

Among study participants with migraine disease, the risk of experiencing a major depressive episode was 22.2%. The overall occurrence of major depressive episodes among all study participants was 14.9%.

As with anxiety and migraine disease, treatment of one condition is thought to be likely to improve the other condition. Conversely, lack of treatment for one condition tends to worsen the other. For this reason it is extremely important for patients to be properly diagnosed and treated.

Treatments for depression include psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, medication, exercise and a variety of more intense, invasive therapies, such as electroconvulsive therapy.

<sup>Sources:
1. http://somebodyhealme.dianalee.net/2009/09/migraines-depression-migraines.html. Migraines & Depression: Migraines Associated with Increased Risk of Major Depressive Episodes. 2. http://www.pslgroup.com/news/content.nsf/medicalnews/852576140048867A85257631007B3BBF?OpenDocument&id=&count=10. News: Migraine Increases Risk for Major Depressive Episodes 3. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/what-is-depression.shtml. National Institutes of Mental Health: Depression</sup>

Photophobia can begin as early as the prodrome phase of a Migraine attack and continue through the headache phase.

Many people with Migraine also experience photophobia interictally (between Migraine attacks.) Another problem with photophobia is that it often makes Migraine pain worse.

Until fairly recently, why light worsened Migraine pain was a mystery, but a 2010 study¹ by Burstein et. al. showed that visual and pain pathways converge in the brain, causing light to worsen the pain of a Migraine.

During an interview, Dr. Burstein commented:

“We had no clue in the world where in the world light and pain talk to each other in the brain. They have completely different pathways in the brain…  We identified a new pathway in the brain that originates in the eye and goes to the brain areas where neurons are found that are active during migraine attacks. The light can increase the electrical activity in neurons that are active to begin with.”⁴

Other comments from Burstein explained their findings:

“This explains the throbbing headache and accompanying scalp and neck-muscle tenderness experienced by many migraine patients.

Migraine patients may wear sunglasses, even at night… the dimmest of light can make migraine pain worse. Extremely disabling, photophobia prevents patients from such routine activities as reading, writing, working or driving.

While the patients in the first group did not experience any worsening of their headaches from light exposure, the patients in the second group clearly described intensified pain when they were exposed to light, in particular blue or gray wavelengths. This suggested to us that the mechanism of photophobia must involve the optic nerve, because in totally blind individuals, the optic nerve does not carry light signals to the brain.

We also suspected that a group of recently discovered retinal cells containing melanopsin photoreceptors [which help control biological functions including sleep and wakefulness] is critically involved in this process, because these are the only functioning light receptors left among patients who are legally blind.

When small electrodes were inserted into these ‘migraine neurons,’ we discovered that light was triggering a flow of electrical signals that was converging on these very cells. This increased their activity within seconds…

(regarding the neurons remaining activated when light was removed) This helps explain why patients say that their headache intensifies within seconds after exposure to light, and improves 20 to 30 minutes after being in the dark.

Clinically, this research sets the stage for identifying ways to block the pathway so that migraine patients can endure light without pain.”²

Especially given how much about how Migraine really works in our brains is still not understood, this is exciting research. Now that the pathway responsible for light making Migraine pain worse has been identified, researchers can work to identify ways to block the effects of light on Migraine. Another real possibility is that this discovery may well lead to better understanding of our sensitivities to sound and smell.

When the findings of this study were released, I wanted to get the opinion of another Migraine researcher to be sure that my impression wasn’t colored by wishful thinking. I contacted Dr. Richard Lipton and will share some of his comments with you. He summarized this research and it’s importance and implications far more succinctly than I can:

“This research began with an intriguing question about photophobia; ‘How is that light worsens pain during a migraine attack?’ By evaluating patients who are blind, Burstein and coworkers discovered that in some forms of blindness, migraine pain is worsened by light even in people who can not see. In these patients, a specific population of cells (called RGC or retinal ganglion cells) in the retina are preserved while other cells, responsible for formed vision (rods and cones) are lost. Building on this clinical observation, Burstein discovered a place deep in the brain where input from these RGCs about light conditions and input from the pain pathway converge. Light worsens pain by activating nerve cells at this point of convergence.

These finding are important because:

1. They make clear that light sensitivity in migraine has a firm anatomic basis. The symptom can be understood.
2. They help us understand why drugs that relieve the pain of migraine also relieve sensitivity to light.
3. They may provide a model for helping us understand sound and smell sensitivity as well.”³

Live well,

© Teri Robert, 2012

____________
^Resources:

^{1Noseda, Rodrigo; Kainz, Vanessa; Jakubowski, Moshe; Gooley, Joshua J.; Saper, Clifford B.; Digre, Kathleen; Burstein, Rami. “A neural mechanism for exacerbation of headaches by light.” Nature Neuroscience. Advance Online Publication; January 10, 2010.}

^{2 Press Release. “Study explains why light worsens migraine headaches.” Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Boston. January 10, 2010. Via EurekAlert.}

^{3 Interview. Teri Robert with Dr. Richard B. Lipton. January 11, 2010.}

^{4 Gardner, Amanda. “Why Light Hurts During Migraine.” HealthDay News. January 10, 2010.}

They wanted to know if they were alone in having neck pain with their Migraines, if the neck pain could be triggering the Migraines, if triptans (Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, etc.) could be causing their neck pain, and more.

They were frustrated, and I was frustrated because I didn’t have solid answers for them.

Finally, a group of researchers led by Dr. Anne Calhoun answered some of the questions about Migraine and neck pain.¹

PREVALENCE OF NECK PAIN STUDY:¹

Study objective:

“To determine the prevalence of neck pain at the time of migraine treatment relative to the prevalence of nausea, a defining associated symptom of migraine.”¹

Study methods:

• Study participants were recruited from an academic Migraine and headache clinic and the general public.
• In order to clearly identify neck pain associated with Migraine,  patients with fibromyalgia, known or suspected cervicogenic headache, and history of significant cervical trauma or surgery were excluded.
• Potential participants were examined by Migraine and headache specialists to confirm Migraine diagnosis in accordance with the International Headache Society’s International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-II).
• Study participants recorded details of all Migraines in a daily diary over at least one month and until six Migraines had been treated.

Study results:

• Study participants recorded a total of 2,411 “headache” days, of which 786 were identified as Migraine days.
• Neck pain was more prevalent than nausea, regardless of the treatment stage.
• Neck pain was more prevalent than nausea, regardless of the intensity of the headache pain at the time of treatment.
• There was a correlation between neck pain and chronicity as Migraines moved from episodic to chronic.

Study conclusions:

Calhoun et. al. concluded:

“Neck pain is a common and integral feature of migraine. In this sample of migraineurs, neck pain was more commonly associated with migraine than was nausea, one of the defining characteristics of the disorder. Greater awareness of neck pain as an associated symptom of migraine may improve diagnostic accuracy and have a beneficial impact on time to treatment.”

NECK PAIN AND MIGRAINE TREATMENT STUDY:²

Ford and Calhoun also studied the impact of neck pain on Migraine treatment and presented their findings in a research poster at the 52nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Headache Society. This research is an extension of the first study, performed with data collected from the same participants during that study.

Study objective:

“This study will examine whether presence of neck pain is associated with a delay in migraine treatment.”²

Study methods:

• There were 113 study participants whose Migraine frequency ranged from episodic to chronic.
• Participants were examined by by Migraine and headache specialists to confirm Migraine diagnosis in accordance with the International Headache Society’s International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-II).
• Potential participants with fibromyalgia and cervicogenic headache were excluded.
• Study participants recorded details of all Migraines in a daily diary over at least one month and until six Migraines had been treated.

Study results:

• Presence of neck pain in the hour before initial treatment was associated with:
  • Treatment being delayed more than 30 minutes past the beginning of the headache.
  • Treatment being started at a higher headache pain intensity.
• When neck pain accompanied Migraine, participants with moderate or severe neck pain were more likely to treat the Migraine within 30 minutes of the begging of the headache than participants with mild neck pain.

Study conclusions:

Presence of neck pain was associated with delayed Migraine treatment as indicated by:

1. higher pain intensity at the time of initial treatment and
2. longer wait times before beginning treatment.

Ford and Calhoun offered explanations for this delay in treatment:

1. Migraineurs fail to relate neck pain to their Migraine attacks.
2. Neck pain is so prevalent in Migraine that Migraineurs have become accustomed to it and ignore neck pain until its severity increases or until the headache pain becomes worse than the neck pain.

Summary and comments:

Neck pain can indeed be a symptom of a Migraine attack. In this study it was, in fact, more common than nausea, which is so commonly associated with Migraine that it’s part of the International Headache Society’s diagnostic criteria for Migraine.

Neck pain during Migraine resulted in delayed treatment possibly because Migraineurs don’t recognize neck pain as a Migraine symptom or because they’ve become so used to it that they ignore it.

Both physician and patient education need to be modified to include neck pain as an acknowledged symptom of Migraine, and the International Headache Society should review their diagnostic criteria for the possible inclusion of neck pain.

Patients who experience neck pain during or near a Migraine should discuss it with their doctors to ensure that it is part of their Migraine and not another unrelated issue.

Live well,

© Teri Robert, 2011

____________

^Resources:

^{1Calhoun, Anne H., MD; Ford, Sutapa, PhD; Millen, Cori, DO; Finkel, Alan G., MD; Truong, Young, PhD; Nie, Yonghong, MS. “The Prevalence of Neck Pain in Migraine.” Headache 2010;50:1273-1277. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2009.01608.x.}

^{2Ford, S.; Calhoun, A.H. “Presence of Neck Pain Delays Migraine Treatment.” Poster Presentation #PO-22. 52nd Annual Scientific Meeting, American Headache Society. Los Angeles. June, 2010.}

^{3The International Headache Society. “The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edition.” Cephalalgia 2004; 24 suppl 1:1-160.}

The prodome phase comes before the migraine attack itself and serves as a warning of an impending migraine attack. The prodome phase can start as early as 24 hours before the onset of a migraine attack.

This anger, impatience and irritability are some of the most often misunderstood aspects of migraine disease for family members and friends. We often do not realize these tendencies are related to our migraine attacks and cannot warn our loved ones of this, either. It is not uncommon for those closest to us to perceive us as having a bad or nasty attitude that comes out of nowhere. The reality is that it can be extremely difficult for us to control this tendency, especially when we haven’t yet made any association between these symptoms and our migraine attacks.

It can be incredibly helpful to discuss this tendency toward anger and irritability with your loved ones. It may help to ask one of them to kindly point out to you that you may be experiencing the prodome phase of a migraine attack because he/she has noticed you’re acting more irritable than usual. It takes a special relationship for someone to be able to pull this off without creating more tension and anger, however. Make sure you pick someone who is capable of alerting you without attacking you or holding it against you. It shouldn’t be raised as a value judgment any more so than any other symptom of migraine disease. You certainly don’t choose to vomit or experience pain, and you don’t choose to be short tempered, either.

If you find it difficult to manage the level anger and irritability you experience during a migraine attack or it starts to interfere with your relationships, consider getting some help. Psychotherapy, mindfulness, meditation and relaxation techniques can be helpful in managing this symptom. While you may not be able to control whether you experience it, you can control how you react and whether you let it take over and change your personality.

^{References:
Psychological Precedents of Migraine in Relations to the Time of Onset of the Headache: The Migraine Time Line. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1526-4610.1997.3704217.x/abstract.
Silent Migraines. >http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/what-are-silent-migraines}

Chronic Migraines

Finding the right migraine preventive medication
What to do when nothing is working
Expert Answer: Intractable Chronic Migraines
Botox Approval for Chronic Migraine
Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Migraine
Surgery for Chronic Migraine

Living with Chronic Migraines

Recommendations for Chronic Migraineurs
Chronic Migraine & Stigma
Chronic Migraine & Social Security Disability
Chronic Migraine & Child Custody
The Family Medical Leave Act & Migraine

When thinking about migraine, I find that I am thinking of “my” migraine. Without realizing it, I’ve created this personal for my migraine and react to and rationalize with it as if it’s a living, thinking being. I’m not sure when this started, but the more I notice my habit, the more it seems to be happening.

The other day I awoke with a migraine. While brushing my hair, I looked in the mirror, eyes slightly upturned so they were looking at my eyebrow (often the center of my migraine headache) in the mirror. “Not today. You need to go away,” I said, mouth full of toothpaste suds. I’d spoken aloud without having planned to. I was talking to my migraine.

As I said, this happens to me a lot. I find myself bargaining with this entity: “Today is a really important day. If you go away today, you can come back on such-and-such day when I don’t have any obligations.” I tell it (though usually in my head, not aloud) that it’s not fair to visit me so often. That I eat well and drink well and exercise and take care of myself—so I don’t deserve its creeping up on me yet again.

Do you ever find yourself talking to your migraine as if it can hear you? I’m wondering if this happens more with chronic migraineurs than with occasional or episodic patients. Does it help you to think of your migraine as something that has willpower that can listen to you, or do you feel a little crazy? I’d love to know.

Although we try to answer questions and share information, there are times when the only safe answer is, “You need to see your doctor.” We’re not insensitive to the problems this presents for some people.

One possible solution may be HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) Health Centers that provide primary care at fees based on ability to pay. HRSA-supported health centers provide comprehensive, culturally competent, quality primary health care services to medically underserved communities and “vulnerable populations.” They’re community-based and patient-directed organizations that serve populations with limited access to health care. These include:

• low income populations,
• the uninsured,
• those with limited English proficiency,
• migrant and seasonal farm workers,
• homeless individuals and families, and
• people living in public housing.

HRSA Health Centers serve:

• People of all ages. In 2009, approximately 33% of patients ages 18 and younger; about 7% were ages 65 and older.
• People with and without insurance. In 2009, the proportion of uninsured patients of all ages was approximately 38%, and the number of uninsured patients increased from 4 million in 2001 to more than 7.2 million in 2009.
• People of all races and ethnicities.

Fundamentals of the Health Center Program:

• Centers are locate in or serve a high need community.
• Centers are governed by a community board composed by a majority of health center patients who represent the population served.
• Centers provide comprehensive primary health care services as well a supportive services (education, translation, transportation, etc.) that provide access to health care.
• Centers provide services available to all with fees adjusted based on ability to pay.
• Centers meet other performance and accountability requirements regarding administrative, clinical, and financial operations.

Summary:

Whether you have health insurance or not, if you can’t afford to see a doctor, HRSA Health Centers may be an avenue for you to find primary care. They don’t provide specialist care, but they are a way for many to receive basic health care. Access to health care is critical – not just for Migraines, but for general health and life itself. Complications due to employment issues, lack or loss of insurance, or other issues, shouldn’t prevent anyone from getting health care when needed. HRSA Centers may be the answer for many people. Nobody should be embarrassed or reluctant about seeking care there.

To see if there’s a HRSA Health Center near you, check on this HRSA site.

____________
Resources:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Primary Health Care: The Health Center Program.” Health Resources and Services Administration.

Live well,

© Teri Robert, 2012