More than Just a Pesky Headaches
Migraine symptoms may vary from person to person, but approximately 36 million Americans currently suffer from headaches or migraines. While there is no cure yet for this widespread ailment, organizations like the American Migraine Foundation (AMF) work to educate the public and raise more funding for additional treatment solutions.
So, what exactly does a migraine feel like? Excedrin has recently come out with a campaign to feature the first ever migraine simulator. This allows people who have never experienced a migraine to understand what sufferers go through at a moment’s notice. For a text version, pain is felt around the eyes with damage to vision with flashing lights and blind spots. That’s just the beginning of the actual migraine, which can result in an amount of pain that won’t allow for the simplest daily activities.
Sounds unpleasant, right? Well, the AMF, along with many other organizations, wants to alleviate that pain, along with the financial toll that migraines have—an estimated $13 billion dollars due to compromised worker productivity.
Previous events include a blogging challenge (past entries here), where authors respond to a daily prompt regarding migraines; social media campaigns that encourage participants to be verbal about their illness (check out #MHAM on Twitter); along with pushes from local community organizations, like Mountain Valley Therapy in Oregon, to encourage people to seek medical attention.
What can you do?
• If you have migraines, be honest with your friends, family, and coworkers about your condition. Migraineurs often site stigma as one of the hardest things about suffering from migraines.
• If you think you might be suffering from migraines, fill out the MIDAS questionnaire used to evaluate migraine intensity and keep a headache diary to discuss with your doctor.
• The most important thing is to be respectful
and considerate of those who suffer. You can also donate to the 26 Million Migraine Campaign, raising one dollar for every migraine diagnosis, in honor of someone you know.
