Migraine Awareness
The Migraine Action Association states that "Migraine affects around 6 million people in the UK with more
sufferers than diabetes, asthma and epilepsy combined. It is responsible for the loss of over 18 million
working days each year."
The aim of Migraine Action Week is to highlight awareness and to dispel some of the myths about migraine and
to help both employers and employees to better understand the condition.
What is a migraine?
Migraine is a clinical syndrome involving "attacks" of multiple symptoms occurring in an episodic fashion.
The attacks are separated by intervals in which the person returns to their usual state of health.
Migraine without aura (common migraine) is an intense, throbbing headache, often only on one side of the
head accompanied by two or more of the following symptoms:
- nausea and / or vomiting
- muscle pain
- photophobia (increased sensitivity to light)
- phonophobia (increased sensitivity to sound)
- osmophobia (increased sensitivity to smell)
The pain is often made worse by movement, and sufferers want to rest and keep still, preferably in a quiet,
darkened room. Frequency varies; some sufferers may have migraine only once or twice a year while others may
have it two or three times a week.
Headaches and migraine are a common reason for taking sick leave at work. Where this has been used as a
reason for absence but not been for genuine or severe symptoms it has done a great disservice to genuine
sufferers of migraine.
There is also the likelihood that an employee may:
- Fear losing their job
- Fear being seen as unreliable
- Fear that they will be passed over for promotion
Employers should be aware that there are steps that can be taken to minimise the impact of migraine in the
workplace:
- Flexible working hours
- Rotation of tasks
- Flexible location
- Frequent breaks, particularly if employees are working at a computer or managing machinery. This gives
time to stretch and relax muscles and manage trigger factors
- Access to drinking water, dehydration is a major trigger for migraine
- Stress management – another potential trigger for migraines
- Lighting
- Eye care if VDUs are a significant part of your employee’s normal work you should ensure
that staff have regular eye tests
Useful links