How to assess the severity of your migraine? The MIDAS test

I found this a useful article - I have completed the MIDAS test many times, but have never had it explained to me!

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After diagnosis of migraine is made, using the diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society, the next important aspect is to assess the severity of the disease and the disability it is causing to the patient, which can guide the treating physician about to manage the disease well. For assessment of severity of the disease and the disability, the migraine headache is causing to the patient is usually done with the help of the Migraine Disability Assessment Score or MIDAS, a well-validated, easy-to-use tool for this purpose.

The Migraine Disability Assessment Score is the most commonly and widely used tool (used by doctors all over the globe) to assess the severity of migraine headache and the same tool can also be used to find out the degree of disability it is causing to the patient for day-to-day activity.

Using the Migraine Disability Assessment Score the severity the migraine headache is causing to the patient can be assessed. In the MIDAS tool a set of 5 simple questions and additional 2 questions are asked to the patient. The first 5 questions are used for scoring. The score is calculated by the number of days a patient has suffered in last 3 months and the total days are added together to get the score. If a patient suffer from more than 1 day continuously the total number is taken instead of score of one (e.g. if a patient suffer for 3 days continuously, a score of 3 is given instead of 1).

Following are MIDAS questionnaire:

In the last 3 months how many days did you miss school or work because of your headaches? ——–no. of days.

In the last 3 months how many days was your productivity reduced by half or more because of you headaches? Exclude the days of question number 1. ———no. of days.

In the last 3 months how many days you did not do household works because of headache? ——–no. of days.

In the last 3 months how many days your productivity in household work reduced by half or more due to your headaches? Exclude the days of question number 3, when you did not do household work. ——–no. of days.

In the last 3 months how many days did you miss family, social or leisure activities because of your headaches? ——–no. of days.

Additional MIDAS questionnaire:

In the last 3 months how many days did you have a headache? if headache was more than 1 day continuously, count each day. ———

How painful were these headaches, on a scale of 0-10, with 0 for no pain and 10 for severe most pain one can have. ———–

Disability Assessment Score for Migraine:

Grade-I – Score of 0-5, (minimal or infrequent disability)
Grade-II – Score of 6-10 (mild or less frequent disability)
Grade-III– Score of 11-20 (moderate disability)
Grade IV– Score of more than 20 (severe disability).

Instructions:

Answer the above questionnaire about all types of headaches (including migraine and non migraine type of headaches) you have had in the last 3 months.

Reference http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/assess-severity-migraine/

Just found this on line test - just fill it in and it works out your score for you


http://www.achenet.org/tools/migraine/index.asp

I loved the suggestion
'You score grade IV severe disability. We recommend seeing a doctor if your not already doing so'.

I am laughing my socks off....

At least you have been able to smile this week

that's hilarious. I did the test expecting a fairly high score, and got 94! 20 is supposed to be high! oh well, explains a lot.

I know - I would love a score of 20

After reading this thread, I think I'm too scared to take the test!

Aaak! 64, Severe Disability. I'm impressed that I am able to hold down a job.

wow LIB you are doing amazing well to hold down a job

Gosh, I came out as severe. I have a very high pain threshold and am used to pain, but was in tears the other day with the pains in my head. I have had a constant headache for about 2 months now. Am under a specialist in London for vestibular issues, and migraine was mentioned when I saw him, but it is since I saw him last that I have had this really bad headache. I will mention it when I see him next. No point seeing my GP - he is less than useless!

I think most people whom have had migraine for years (even on and off) have a high pain threshold - I know I thought mine was low and then gave birth naturally and yes it hurt by my god I would do that again over a migraine lol


Migraine is also not just a headache so often the other parts are over looked.

I hope your consultant can help you more x