Colorado Doctor Stresses Importance Of Treatment For Those Suffering From Migraines

(CBS4) - Migraines affect 40 million Americans, yet it's a disease that is often overlooked and misdiagnosed. 20% of women will experience migraine during their lifetime.

"About half of patients are undiagnosed and a lot of people at home are suffering," says Dr. Ravi Shah, founder of Neurology of the Rockies.

Dr. Shah is also the NFL consultant for the Broncos and takes care of the team's head injuries. He says the most common complication of concussion is a headache.

"Headaches are often a very tough symptom to treat, and most people with concussions that have lingering headaches have migraine-like headaches so it's very important to make sure we get them the appropriate treatment."

Treatments for migraine include medications for both migraine prevention, and for the treatment of an acute attack. The newest on the market is Nurtec ODT.

"It's very effective, it works very quickly, and it's so well-tolerated it literally has a significant lack of side effects when compared to older medications," says Dr. Shah.

Another way to prevent migraine without medication is by identifying your migraine triggers. Triggers can include things like diet, lack of hydration or sleep, stress, and weather changes.

"I think it's important to look at your lifestyle, know those triggers, and do the best that you can to avoid them."