Almost half of those who go to their doctor with migraines have their symptoms misinterpreted, according to the body that advises GPs on treatment.
Almost half of those who go to their doctor with migraines have their symptoms misinterpreted, according to the body that advises GPs on treatment.
The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (Sign) is urging doctors to have greater discussion with patients suffering from headaches, in an effort to reduce the number who take the wrong medication for their condition.
About 4% of Scots have a chronic form of headache and roughly 50% of these are thought to be "rebound headaches" - those caused by the over-use of painkillers.
Sign now wants GPs to discuss over-use of medication with their patients.
It is also attempting to raise the profile of migraine sufferers, whose symptoms can be severely debilitating, amid warnings that they are regularly misdiagnosed as suffering from less-serious forms of headache.
There are estimated to be 190,000 people in the UK suffering from migraines.
