Common Myths – The Biggest Myth I’ve Seen

So, thanks to Google alerts, I just came across one of the biggest crocks I’ve seen so far. The person who wrote the featured article, Common Myths About Optical Migraine Symptoms*, is either seriously misinformed or delusional.

First, as has been discussed here, the term “optical Migraine” may be used in many places on the internet, but it’s not a form of Migraine as recognized by the International Headache Society’s International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-II), which is the gold standard for diagnosing and classifying types of Migraine and other headache disorders. “Optical Migraine,” is misused all over the place, and depending on who you see us it where, it can be used to mean something different each time you see it. OK, let’s pause for a moment here. Why am I explaining this yet again, when I can just point you to an article that says it better than I ever could? To understand why I’m saying using the term “optical Migraine” is a bad thing, take a look at this article by Teri Robert: Ocular, Optical, and Ophthalmic Migraine.

In short, THAT ARTICLE is the biggest myth I’ve seen!

Here, please imagine a great television announcer saying…

But wait! There’s more…

A link at the bottom of this pathetic excuse for an article takes you to a web site that has a section on… Yes, you guessed it… Migraine types! Here are the types of Migraine this person lists, with the incorrect ones in grey, crossed-out type:

• Hemiplegic Migraine
• Basilar Migraine
• Menstrual Migraine
• Optical Migraine
• Ocular Migraine
• Migraine Aura (I’ll give her this one; it’s Migraine with aura.)
• Retinal Migraine
• Abdominal Migraine
• Complicated Migraine
• Hormonal Migraine
• Tension Migraine
• Transformed Migraine
• Visual Migraine
• Cluster Migraine

Six out of 14? I could go on, but why? What I’ve already written is enough to warn anyone that this article and the site it links to aren’t worth the time it would take to click on the link.

This article and site leave me with one question: Why the hell do people who haven’t a clue what they’re talking about insist upon writing articles and web sites?

Seriously!

Best,
Arabella ♥

* Note: I have further reason to question the site this article was on. This morning, I found this blog deactivated. When I asked why, it was because of the link to this article. To keep my blog, I needed to remove the  link. Wow!
Note added 09/04/10

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E-Book Migraines Managed

The claim is “Migraines Down 75%, Medications Down 95%, My Drug-Free Insider Secret.”

Julieann, the author of this e-book, talks about “managing Migraines instead of suffering with them.” Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Author and patient advocate Teri Robert shelled out the bucks to buy this e-book and review it.

I’m not going to steal Teri’s thunder by revealing what she had to say. I hope you’ll take a few minutes and read it for yourself. Please check out Review: Migraines Managed by Teri Robert.

To Teri – Thanks for doing this for all of us!

Best,
Arabella ♥

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Migraines – How to Get Rid of Them Forever

See the woman to the left? That’s how I felt when I read the title above, the title of an article I came across today. Seriously?!

This article is on a site that calls itself “Migraines & Headaches Health Center.” Again, Seriously?!

There is one good thing about the title -we already know the article is most likely going to be worthless.

Before I proceed, I need to make a confession. I’m out of patience with all the misunderstandings, misconceptions, and outright lies that abound about Migraines on the internet. That means that I’m not in the mood to be even marginally nice and polite about this article. So, I’m just going to come right out and say this — The article sucks, and the person who wrote it is an idiot.

Allow me to quote bits of the article and comment on those bits, please:

The main symptoms of migraines are a pulsating headache accompanied by nausea and diarrhea.

Wrong. This person couldn’t have done any research. Neck pain, vomiting and photophobia are experienced more frequently than diarrhea.

The article then discusses triggers a bit, a section not really very accurate either, then comes the closing paragraph:

Once the person identifies the root of the problem and avoids those situations most people have had reduced migraines and there are positive results. Avoiding certain foods, excess alcohol consumption, intake of caffeine and any such foods that bring on migraines helps a lot. Know what causes your migraines and avoid it and you will be able to live almost without them in future.

Seriously?! Wouldn’t it be nice if it were that simple? There are many, many triggers that cannot be avoided. I’m sure you already know that, but obviously, the idiot who write the article either doesn’t know or just doesn’t care.

Even with the best trigger identification and management, there are millions and millions of use who will NOT “be able to live almost without them in the future.”

Ordinarily, I’d give you the link to the article, but this time, I’m not going to. The coward who write the article has “closed” comments, so we can’t even give him or her any feedback. Some people look to see how many times their articles are read, and typically, when articles are read many times, those who wrote them thing that means the article is good. Since I won’t feed into that kind of thinking on this one, no link.

Please, please, pretty please, if you want to write articles about Migraines, do your research so your articles are accurate. Articles such as this one are no help whatsoever.

Best,
Arabella ♥

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