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Does Harry Potter Have Migraine?
By Kerrie | July 2, 2007
The excruciating pain in Harry Potter’s forehead when evil is present is one reason experts have diagnosed him with “probable migraine” in the latest issue of Headache, the journal of the American Headache Society.
“Come on” (said like an exasperated teenager) was my first reaction. But the argument is quite persuasive.
What makes the experts so convinced Harry is a migraine sufferer? Consider the facts:
- Migraine
headaches often start during adolescence (although they can appear much
earlier): Harry started having excruciating headaches at age 11, soon
after he found out he was a wizard.- Migraine headache pain is
often (but not always) on one side of the head: the focal point of
Harry’s headaches apparently is the lightning-shaped scar on the side
of his forehead.- Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms of
migraine, particularly in children: as he experienced more headaches,
Harry increasingly developed these symptoms.- Migraine is
disabling: there is no doubt that Harry was completely debilitated
during his headache attacks, and on occasion was brought to his knees
by them.Harry’s headaches fulfill all but one of the criteria
for migraine diagnosis according to the gold-standard International
Classification of Headache Disorders-Second Edition (ICHD-II): he’s had
at least five attacks; they’re severely painful and one-sided; they’re
disabling; they’re accompanied by nausea and vomiting and they can’t be
attributed to another disorder.The only criterion
that isn’t fulfilled is length of the headache. Harry’s headaches are
excruciating, but typically end within minutes of starting, whereas in
Muggle children and teens, a migraine headache typically lasts at least
one to three hours. Without that last criterion, Harry gets the
diagnosis of “probable migraine.”
Do you buy the argument? See Harry Potter and the Horrible Headache for the rest of the story and let me know what you think.
Hallie Thomas, a 17-year-old recent high school grad and migraineur, is third author on the study. I think that is so cool!
Topics: Community, News, Society |
July 2nd, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Ha! Another affinity that Harry and I share, in addition to being adopted by aunts and having July birthdays!
********
Good thing you don’t share an archenemy.
Kerrie
July 2nd, 2007 at 7:06 pm
I thought the archenemy was the source of the migraines. Tee hee!
July 17th, 2007 at 7:52 am
I’ve been a chronic, daily headache sufferer for now 27 years, on disability and have tried every seizure, anti depressant, botox, holistic, acupuncture, reiki thing out there. have been on OxyIR now for years and am so tired of taking pain meds, though they have given me a life back. Is there anything out there that is new that I haven’t possibly tried. I have been with a huge headache clinic in Phila and tried it all. Also did biofeedback and the therapist said that she has never treated a patient like myself, so tense that I can’t help myself. I’m beyond fed up. turned to this website in looking for information on attempting to try Topamax once again.