Migraine, 7 years to get a diagnosis

  Since the first symptoms appear, a person suffering from migraine waits on average 7 years for a diagnosis, 4 if it is a man, 8 if it is a woman. And in most cases there is a lot of underestimation of what is a real disease, not a disturbance.
    "Man is the only animal to have migraine - explains Pietro Cortelli, professor of Neurology of the Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna - It is a form of recurrent headache, with attacks of 4-72 hours, located in a hemisphere of the head, with throbbing pain, and associated with nausea, vomiting, annoyance with noise and light ". Over 90 million people suffer from it worldwide, of which 7 million in Italy. "The prevalence in our country is 9% in men, and almost quadruple in women - he continues - Its annual cost is around 20 billion euros in Italy". The main problem, reported by patients, is the cultural underestimation of their disease, because it is not considered as such. "It is a long time before having a diagnosis - adds Ketty Vaccaro, head of the Censis Welfare area, presenting the data on a survey conducted on 700 patients - Only 36% define it as a disease, for others it is a symptom of something else ". And even if it is the second most disabling disease for the human being, it only affects the work for 27.9% and the study for 18% of the sick. "Most of them in fact - adds Cortelli - are not absent from work, they do the same even if they make less. And this is because they have a particular personality: they have the ability to be multitasking superior to others, they make few mistakes and always give their best of energy ". But what is needed, concludes Lara Merighi, of Al.Ce (Cephalagic Alliance), "is to be understood, that migraine is recognized as a social disease and that correct information is given in the media"