Facts about Migraine

1. 1 in 10 in the U.K. suffer from migraine (this figure may now be nearer 14% of the population.)
2. It affects twice as many women as men.
3. It affects people from all age groups (even young children) and all social classes.
4. Migraine is responsible for around 18 million lost working days each year and costs the U.K. around £750 million per annum in lost production taking into account days off work and sufferers working below par during an attack.
5. A Migraine attack can last for between 3 and 72 hours.
6. Sufferers experience an average of 13 attacks annually.
7. Migraine is more than just a headache. Other symptoms can include:
   • Visual disturbances, (flashing lights, blind spots in the vision, zig zag patterns etc) nausea and vomiting.
   • Sensitivity to light (photophobia.)
   • Sensitivity to noise (phonophobia.)
   • Sensitivity to smells (osmophobia.)
   • Tingling/pins & needles/weakness/numbness in limbs.
8. Around 60% of sufferers never consult their GP because they mistakenly think that nothing can be done to help them. There are a wide range of effective treatment available.
9. Migraine is triggered by a huge variety of factors not just cheese, chocolate and red wine! For most people there is not just one trigger but a combination of factors which eventually can be tolerated but when they all occur together a threshold is passed and a migraine is triggered.
10. Migraine is a very individual condition and trigger factors and symptoms vary tremendously from person to person. Unfortunately, migraine is hereditary.
11. A treatment which works well for one sufferer may be completely ineffective for another, so if treatment doesn’t work don’t give up. It is important to explore other options until you develop a management plan which works for YOU.
12. There is no miracle cure for migraine but it is a condition that in can, in most cases, be effectively managed.

    Information from the Migraine Action Association, 178a High Road, Byfleet, Surrey, KT14 7ED. Tel. 01932 352468. This Association was formally known as the British Migraine Association and was formed in 1952.