Headache? You Are Not Alone – A Society for Migraine Sufferers Has Emerged in Latvia 0 10

About 11% of the population of Latvia suffers from this, according to official data.

Laura Seleivich, representative of the society:

– This is not just a headache. It is a serious neurological disorder that can directly affect education, career, and consequently, future opportunities and financial well-being. Recurrent and uncontrolled attacks, during which a person experiences not only severe headaches but also nausea, vomiting, photophobia, increased sensitivity to sounds and various smells, can disrupt work or study rhythms for a day, or sometimes even a week or longer, leading to long-term consequences that extend far beyond the illness itself.

In situations where timely access to information and experienced doctors is lacking, people are often forced to constantly take painkillers or resort to ineffective and even potentially harmful self-treatment. As a society, we must change this situation.

Migraine treatment includes two main directions – alleviating acute attacks and prevention – to reduce the frequency, duration, and severity of an attack if it does occur. There are specific medications for both acute attacks and prevention, and since 2023, these medications are reimbursed by the state.

However, many patients still do not have access to them – some do not have a diagnosis that grants the right to reimbursed migraine medications, while others are unaware that the state covers these drugs… Sometimes all treatment boils down to the simple advice of “take painkillers and move on.”

To fundamentally change this situation, the Migraine Patients' Society plans to closely collaborate with neurologists and family doctors, as well as with officials who shape health policy. Emotional and informational support for people suffering from migraines is also part of their plans.