Brittany Barreto, Ph.D., is a podcaster, an entrepreneur, and a molecular and human geneticist. (In different phrases, she’s actually sensible.) Learn her column right here every month to find out about what’s occurring on this planet of know-how and innovation in girls’s well being.
The final time Jenny had a migraine assault, she had a a lot completely different expertise than she was used to having. She had reduction from the ache, however she didn’t really feel drugged or nauseated. She was in a position to drive herself residence, and he or she was excited that she didn’t must miss her daughter’s soccer recreation that night or her father’s physician’s appointment within the morning.
Previously, after looking for therapy for a migraine assault, she was despatched residence on remedy that stored her from with the ability to present up for her household and obligations. This time, although, Jenny’s doctor used OcciGuide, a medical machine that has not too long ago come available on the market after years of growth and medical trials. The machine treats headache and migraine assaults with out the damaging unwanted side effects that may occur in case you take opioids or different robust ache remedy.
Headache, migraine and cluster assaults are the fourth commonest cause for visits to the emergency division. And migraine illness impacts extra girls than males. Actually, about 3 out of 4 individuals who’ve migraine illness are girls. And analysis reveals that ladies have extra and longer migraine assaults than males.
Adjustments in hormones such because the drop in estrogen earlier than menstruation or fluctuations throughout perimenopause can result in a rise in headache and migraine assaults. As many as 6 out of 10 girls report having menstrual migraine assaults.
One of the frequent remedies for migraine illness is ache medication. Sadly, although, among the ache medicines will be addictive and overuse can result in rebound headache assaults. Moreover, many ache medicines similar to opioids and over-the-counter ache medicines like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve) are both not really helpful to be used by pregnant girls or can solely be used within the first two trimesters.
“Whereas managing a ache clinic, I used to be uninterested in seeing girls being despatched residence so disoriented. I knew that they had issues to do, children to deal with and companies to run. I wished to create a instrument that allowed all healthcare professionals with any quantity of expertise to have the ability to administer the occipital nerve block therapy,” stated Jillian Levovitz, co-founder of OcciGuide.
Occipital nerve block therapy is mostly secure, doesn’t embrace narcotics and has no results on the remainder of the physique. So why haven’t you heard of it?
Effectively, not each supplier feels comfy administering it. A small quantity of numbing medication, similar to lidocaine, is injected into the occipital nerves behind the cranium. There are methods for a way healthcare suppliers (HCPs) can discover these nerves, however many want to prescribe medication relatively than take the prospect of lacking the occipital nerve with a needle.
(Photograph/Courtesy of OcciGuide)
To assist make HCPs really feel extra comfy giving occipital nerve blocking therapy, Levovitz created OcciGuide, a tool that simply guides any HCP to the right injection factors. OcciGuide is a single-use medical machine that form of appears to be like like an odd pair of headphones. It wraps across the again of the affected person’s head with arms that relaxation on prime of their ears. Two port holes on the again facet of the machine immediately line up with the occipital nerves. This makes injecting the numbing medication extraordinarily simple and lowers the danger of lacking the nerves for the HCP. I think about it means much less stress for the particular person receiving the shot, too, realizing that the HCP injecting numbing medication into the again of their head has a map!
(Photograph/Courtesy of OcciGuide)
In the US individuals spend $11 billion a 12 months in direct prices similar to medical spending and one other $11 billion in oblique prices, like misplaced productiveness, due to headache and migraine illness. Alongside these monetary prices are the dangers of contributing to opioid dependancy. Not solely are opioids addictive, however overuse can really result in headache and migraine assaults changing into persistent as an alternative of occasional.
Innovators like Jillian aren’t accepting the established order in terms of treating situations that disproportionately have an effect on girls. We wish girls again on their toes and again to their lives as rapidly as doable and with the least quantity of unwanted side effects. Typically to create this type of change, we simply must construct a roadmap.
The details about merchandise and/or companies on this column doesn’t represent any type of endorsement or advice by HealthyWomen. Hyperlinks are offered as a comfort and for informational functions solely. This column might sometimes cowl firms through which Brittany Barreto is an investor.
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