Migraines can be a headache to diagnose and treat in primary care

Migraines can be a pain to diagnose and treat in primary care because most Physicians are not allotted more then ten to fifteen minutes to hear you out. Unfortunately that's just enough time to rule out the red flags and throw a medication your way without much explanation. It's no wonder people feel like they have unmanageable headaches. 

There seems to be a lot of frustration with patients and Physicians because the expectation that the first medication may work is there and Physicians don't always explain that this is not the case. There  is a genetic predisposition towards migraine headaches and it can be a widespread brain involvement leading to many different symptoms such as fatigue, depression, muscle pain and sensitivity to light, sound or smell. Sometimes the widespread symptoms can make it difficult to diagnose.   Often migraines can lead to nausea or vomiting and even debilitation. Long term anxiety and depression can be an outcome of untreated migraines. 

Some migraine symptoms are mild and are misdiagnosed.

It is imperative to review "red flags" of headache with your Physician such as;

-sudden onset of headaches


-onset of headaches >age of 50


-increase in frequency and severity of headaches

-new onset with underlying medical conditions (such as diagnosis of cancer and now with sudden headache)

-abnormal neurological exam

-headaches with systemic illness such as a fever or stiff neck. 

There is hope for migraine sufferers. 

unfortunately some times it is trial and error and it may be a process but if you have the time with your Physician like you do with direct primary care you can find the best treatment for you.

At Crescent Direct Primary Care we will take the time to listen to the symptoms and tailor your treatment for you.