MORE than just a headache, migraine is a problem which can affect your whole life.

Some 114,000 people in Lancashire suffer with symptoms ranging from temporary blindness and flashing lights, to dizziness and nausea.

It affects eight per cent of the population at some time in their lives and an average attack can last up to 72 hours. Yet, surprisingly, few sufferers consult their doctors and many don not undergo any treatment whatsoever.

But migraines don't have to take over your life. That's the message from the British Migraine Association which is running an awareness week from September 8-14.

REPORTER Chris Kershaw recently started experiencing severe headaches. He had never suffered from migraines in his life before, so he thought it was just a bad hangover at first.

But when the symptoms were so bad he felt like he was having a brain haemorrhage, he knew it was more than just a headache.

"I didn't know whether to call out the emergency doctor," he said. "I was in agony. "My head was throbbing, I wanted to be sick, and I could barely see. It was a nightmare.

"And it lasted almost all night, so by morning I was too exhausted to go to work. I knew if I didn't get some sleep, the symptoms would return."

At worst, Chris suffered four migraines in two weeks, and since it was all new to him, he didn't know whether to see a doctor or just suffer in silence.

"I have a friend who also suffers from migraines, and he just lives with it, so I assumed that was what you do."

Advice to Chris and other sufferers from the British Migraine Association is to keep a diary of attacks to find out when they occur and where possible, what triggers them.

Ann Turner, the association's director, said: "Gain control of your life, don't suffer in silence.

"Even if you have already seen your doctor, if the treatment he prescribed didn't help, you need to go back again.

"Migraine is a very individual condition," she emphasised: "so it's important to look at all the different treatment options until you find one that best suits you."

Migrane awareness week starts September 8

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.