Ana D’Castro is a Dubai expat with a busy family life and a ton of important work commitments .
She’s also a chronic migraine sufferer, with the condition often throwing her carefully planned week into instant disarray – meaning she has to suddenly ditch plans and ‘let people down.’
This causes her a great deal of anxiety, she admits to Dr Alessandro Terruzzi, Head of Neurology Department at Mediclinic City Hospital and Clinical Lead and Head of Mediclinic Comprehensive Stroke Center, in episode 4 of the Gulf News & Novartis Mind Your Migraine vodcast.
In the episode, Ana urges listeners to understand migraine is not a normal headache . “This is really a chronic condition; it's very difficult to explain.”
In the vodcast, Dr Alessandro advises patients to talk openly about the disease and invite others where possible to help them manage attacks . “You have to explain to people in advance what you're going to go through,” says the medic. “That you will probably need a quiet place, a silent room – maybe a dark room because lights, noises and sounds , even smells, can hurt you.”
“They have to be supportive. Not trying to diminish your condition, not blaming you for what is going on – and then hopefully in a few hours you will be back as before,” he adds.
To find out how you can support migraine sufferers – or enlist help yourself – listen to the full discussion, which drops on June 15 across leading podcast channels. You can also watch the episode by visiting www.gulfnews.com/mind-your-migraine
