Home Care Bronx NY
June is Migraine Awareness Month and if you are a family caregiver providing home care for a senior who has been experiencing these severe headaches, now is the ideal time to learn more about them so that you can construct a care approach tailored to their needs.
Some things that you should know about migraines include:
- Approximately 36 million people throughout the United States suffer from migraines. This accounts for around 12 percent of the total population.
- 25 percent of households have at least one person who suffers from migraine headaches.
- Women are three times more likely to suffer from migraine headaches than men.
- 30 percent of women will experience at least one episode of migraine headaches at some point in their life.
- Migraines are most likely to occur between the ages of 30 and 60, but for those who already suffered them when they were younger, they tend to continue through their elderly years.
- 3 percent of the population has what is referred to as chronic migraine. This is a condition in which the person suffers from migraine symptoms on at least 15 days of each month for a period of six months.
- The symptoms of migraine headaches can be quite severe, causing the person to miss out on life activities such as spending time with family and friends, working, or taking care of needs such as grocery shopping.
- Many sufferers have what is called a "premonitory phase". This is when their bodies start showing symptoms that warn them that a headache is on the way. This can include sensitivity to light and sound, stiffness or pain in the neck, increased yawning, or a feeling of severe fatigue.
- After the pain stops the person is likely to experience a post-headache phase during which they may feel extremely fatigued, irritable, and weak, and go through coughing, straining, and dizziness.
- The headache can last between 4 hours and 3 days with the average being around 24 hours. When combined with the other phases of the episode, however, it can last for several days.
The term "migraine" actually describes a cluster of different forms of headaches that are all triggered by hyper-excitable brain networks. The experience of this type of headache can be truly debilitating, and if your aging parent suffers from such headaches it is important that you put the proper care arrangements into place to ensure that they get the home care and assistance that they need during such an episode. A home care provider can be in the home with your parent to provide support and assistance while your parent goes through their migraine to allow them to get more rest and resist the movements that can increase symptoms. They can also guide your parent through the prevention and care methods recommended by their doctor to help minimize the experience and reduce the chances of experiencing another in the near future. This care can dramatically improve your parent's quality of life and overall health and wellbeing.