Lifting the Burden

Research paper diagnoses Harry with probable migraine.

Harry Potter's agonising headaches could become a burden of the past, thanks to new scientific research published this month.

The paper 'Harry Potter and the curse of the headache' reviews and classifies Harry's headaches to diagnose 'probable migraine'. If they are treated correctly, we could see an end to Harry's six year ordeal with headaches that have left him weak, disorientated, retching and struggling to defend himself against arch enemy Lord Voldemort.

Co-written by two of the world's top headache experts, Dr. Fred Sheftell and Dr. Timothy Steiner, and Hallie Thomas, a teenage migraine sufferer, the paper published in Headache, a leading medical journal devoted to the latest research papers and investigations into the causes and treatment of headache and migraine, draws on Harry's suffering as a reflection of the impact that headaches have on children and adults, across the globe.

Some 50% of adults suffered from a headache last year and the figures for children are just as alarming. Studies show that headache affects 50% of 7 to 15 years olds, and migraine affects up to one in ten of the same age group.

The impact of headache can be profound, affecting ability to study and concentrate at school and school attendance. Figures for school or work days lost due to migraine alone presently stand at 400,000 per million people each year in developed countries.

Dr Steiner said, "Harry has suffered excruciating headaches that have left him wholly debilitated. Lord Voldemort is always just around the corner so the disabling nature of these headaches presents a very real danger to Harry."

"But, despite the obvious severity of his attacks, Harry's condition is dismissed by Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, as psychological. No doubt this is why Harry has suffered his headaches in silence. People everywhere with disabling headache will recognise this prejudice, because they often encounter it themselves."

"Sadly, Harry's situation is a reflection of a global problem. Headache disorders are real and often lifelong illnesses which disable and debilitate people the world over. Yet millions are suffering in silence because the condition so often goes under-recognised, under-treated or, worse, mistreated. Effective treatments do exist but just don't reach most of those who need them. There's no good reason for this level of apathy, and we are determined to 'lift the burden' of people with headache around the globe."

John F. Rothrock, Editor-in-Chief of Headache added, "This paper addresses the issues surrounding headaches brilliantly. Not only is it witty and compelling, but it is also based on solid scientific research that tells the very real story of those suffering from this often overlooked ailment. We're thrilled to be publishing such an unusual and important research paper."

Headaches: Did you know?

• An estimated 15% of people have migraine
• Headache disorders are collectively responsible for huge losses of work and school days
• WHO ranks migraine 19th in the list of world causes of disability and have partnered with the World Headache Alliance (WHA), International Headache Society (IHS), and the European Headache Federation (EHF) to raise awareness of, and reduce, the burden of headache in the global campaign entitled Lifting The Burden. For further information visit: http://www.who.int/mental_health/neurology/headache/en/index.html

This study is published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. To view the full paper for free, visit the Blackwell site by clicking here.