A severe migraine attack can be as disabling as quadriplegia or dementia*, and yet many non-sufferers still see it as nothing more than a headache that a victim should be able to shake off. [...]

A severe migraine attack can be as disabling as quadriplegia or dementia*, and yet many non-sufferers still see it as nothing more than a headache that a victim should be able to shake off.

Migraines are among the oldest diseases known to man with conditions dating back to 3000bc, and the word "Migraine" originates from Greek roots meaning "half head".

This is because, usually this type of headache starts on one side of the head. Towards the middle of the 19th century, a person suffering from a headache would be given opium, but often this did more harm than good.

This video, featuring Dr Catherine Hood, looks at how migraines have been treated in the past, and how they are treated now.