DISRUPTIVE: Excessive use of drugs could turn episodic migraines into chronic migraines, a doctor said, urging people with persistent headaches to seek medical help

Taipei Times
Date: May 29, 2019
By: Wu Liang-yi, Lin Hui-chin and Sherry Hsiao  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer

About 172,000 Taiwanese are plagued by migraines, with the condition more prevalent among women than men, statistics released by the National Health Insurance Administration has shown.

The condition is most prevalent among people aged 30 to 59, the statistics showed. Migraine is recognized by the WHO as a disabling disorder.

Migraines are the condition most commonly diagnosed by neurologists, said Lin Kao-chang (林高章), a neurologist at Tainan’s Chi Mei Medical Center and president of the Taiwan Headache Society.

Migraines are caused by an excessive release of calcitonin gene-related peptides (CGRPs) and can cause symptoms such as a throbbing pain in the head, nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light or noise, he said.    [FULL  STORY]