He September 12 has been chosen as the “International Day of Action against Migraine”. This day, actions are carried out to raise awareness among the population about this disabling pathology that affects thousands of people around the world and is characterized by headaches and headaches.
What are headaches?
The headaches are one of the most common disorders of the nervous system. They are primary painful and disabling disorders such as migraine, tension headache, and cluster headache. It can also be caused by many other disorders, of which excessive use of pain relievers is the most common.
Headache frequency
It is estimated that the global prevalence of headache (at least once in the last year) in adults is approximately 50%. Between half and three-quarters of adults aged 18 to 65 have experienced a headache in the past year, and 30% or more of this group have had a migraine. Headache that occurs 15 days or more each month affects 1.7% to 4% of the world's adult population. Despite regional variations, headaches are a global problem that affects people of all ages.all ages, races, income levels and geographic areas.
More than 5 million people in Spain are in this situation, with 80% of migraine patients being women between 20 and 40 years old. Specifically, more than half of people with migraine suffer from severe or very severe disability, according to the MIDAS scale. However, this impact on quality of life is not sufficiently recognized.
Headache effects
The headache is not only painful, but also disabling. Headaches also impose a personal burden in the form of intense suffering, impaired quality of life, and economic costs. Frequent headaches, as well as constant fear about the next episode, damage family life, social relationships, and health. job. The prolonged efforts involved in dealing with a chronic headache can also predispose to the onset of other illnesses; for example, lto depression and anxiety They are significantly more common in people with migraine than in healthy people.
Occupational impact of headaches
Headaches are a cause of concern for public health given the disability that accompanies them and the economic costs to society. Because they cause more problems during the productive years (late teens to fifties), it is estimated that the economic costs to society—related primarily to hours of work lost and decreased productivity- they are huge.
The company of Prevention of occupational hazards must assess the occupational risks that may influence the evolutionary course of this disease, promoting preventive actions in current Spanish legislation and with repercussions for both companies and the affected worker.
Royal Decree 1299/2006, of November 10, which approves the table of occupational diseases in the Social Security system and criteria are established for their notification and registration, it does not include headaches or migraines among the list of occupational diseases, this makes it difficult to manage this disorder in the workplace.
In addition to fighting migraine and managing family and work, people who suffer from it have to face another scourge, the lack of credibility that they find in society regarding their situation. Many people question and doubt the disability that this disorder can cause, showing a lack of understanding that can hurt as much as the headache itself.
That is why September 12 seeks to make this ailment visible and promote actions that help prevent, improve the quality of life and alleviate the effects it produces on society.
Sources:
World Health Organization
Spanish Migraine and Headache Association
