Mar

Migraine Headaches

Don’t Let Frequent, Bad Headaches Keep You Out Of Work

Almost everyone has an occasional headache, but when headaches affect work performance, it may be something more. Simply completing tasks might be difficult, let alone maintaining productivity. Yet frequent, bad headaches affect more working Americans than you may think.

A new survey of more than 1,400 working adults shows that of those who have bad headaches, more than one-third have at least one per month, and about half of these people report that their headaches made them work less effectively or decreased their productivity. Despite this significant impact on their work performance, fewer than one in five have sought medical attention for their headaches.

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The survey provides a first-hand perspective of the workplace consequences of frequent, bad headaches, defined as a bad headache occurring at least once per month. Of the 508 survey respondents who said they get frequent, bad headaches:

• More than three-quarters said they developed a bad headache at work.

• One-third have had to leave work early or have rested in their office because of a bad headache.

• Over one-quarter have called in sick because of a bad headache.

Many respondents reported headache symptoms that are consistent with migraine headache:

• About half reported moderate to severe or throbbing head pain.

• More than 40 percent noted pain on one side of the head.

• One-third cited sensitivity to light and sound.

"What I found interesting about the survey findings is the extent to which frequent, bad headache sufferers described symptoms consistent with migraine, yet had not talked to a doctor about their headaches," said Dr. Merle Diamond, associate director of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago. "There are an estimated 14 million Americans who suffer from migraines and who have not yet been diagnosed. When frequent, bad headaches include symptoms like moderate to severe pain, pain on one side of the head and sensitivity to light and sound, they may be migraines."

For years researchers have acknowledged that migraine is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed. The Landmark Study, published in Headache, evaluated more than 1,200 patients who visited a physician about their headaches and found that 9 out of 10 patients had migraine or probable migraine and one in four did not get the proper diagnosis. This failure to diagnose migraines may be due in part to a lack of understanding of migraine, and the similarity in symptoms to other, better-recognized conditions.

"Headaches that occur more than two to three times per week or impact work or social activities should be evaluated by a physician," continued Dr. Diamond.

Inadequately or Untreated Migraines Are a Cost Burden for Employers

In the United States, employers face a considerable cost burden as a consequence of migraine. According to results presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Headache Society this past June, migraines cost employers nearly $10 billion a year due to migraine-related absenteeism. Migraine-specific medications may be prescribed in an effort to manage migraine symptoms and, as a result, may allow employees to work more effectively than if their migraines are left untreated.

Important Safety Information About Imitrex for Migraine Headaches

Imitrex is approved for the acute treatment of migraines, with and without aura, in adults. Patients should not take Imitrex if they have certain types of heart disease, history of stroke or TIAs, peripheral vascular disease, Raynaud’s syndrome, or blood pressure that is uncontrolled. Patients with risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or being a smoker, should be evaluated by a doctor before taking Imitrex. Very rarely, certain people, even some without heart disease, have had serious heart-related problems. Patients who are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications should talk to their doctor.

By: Stacey Moore

Please see full prescribing information available at www.imitrex. com. For more information about migraines, visit www.headachequiz.com. "I encourage anyone with frequent, bad headaches to visit www.head achequiz.com, take the short test, and share the results with a physician. If they are diagnosed with migraines, there are effective migraine-specific medicines, such as Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate) Tablets."