Beyond Migraine: The Real You

One of the most revealing results from the survey was the effect that migraine has on a person’s family and particularly the lives of their children.

Among parents, 40% said that their children are impacted by their condition.

Migraine keeps people away from those they love and activities they enjoy. Migraine can shape daily life with 4 in 10 (39%) of migraine sufferers hiding a migraine attack.

• 24% said they hid a migraine for work/career reasons
• 22% hid their migraine as they didn’t want everyone to worry about them

The survey data found that migraine affected many areas of a patient’s life, specifically noting that:

• 51% of people with migraine are frustrated
• 53% of people with migraine are exhausted
• 30% of people with migraine feel depressed and sad
• 25% of people with migraine feel depressed and anxious.

The survey data also showed that migraine damaged people’s personal and social lives, 52% of those surveyed claiming it has prevented them from going out, 44% saying the disease impacted their ability to exercise, 41% of people saying their career has been impacted by migraine, and 25% stating it had impacted their sex life.

65% of Irish patients living with migraine feel that their condition is not being taken seriously by government or society.

Just over half of all patients (52%) claimed it took three or more years to be diagnosed after first experiencing symptoms and a further 47% had to wait another 3 years at least to get a specific treatment.

The Beyond Migraine: The Real You survey reached 265 migraine patients in Ireland. The survey explores the human impact of migraine on the lives of patients, their family, their work and their social life. Independent data collection was conducted at the request of and with financial support of Teva.

The insights from 265 Irish migraine patients are broadly similar to those reported by patients in other European countries. Irish migraine patients reported feeling more exhausted (53% Ireland vs. 51% Europe), but the feeling of frustration (51% Ireland vs. 51% Europe) and guilt (15% Ireland vs.14% Europe) remained broadly the same between both.

Migraine is a complex condition that comes with a wide range of symptoms. The main feature is a painful headache that is often associated with other symptoms such as sensitivity to light, sound and experiencing nausea or vomiting. Some people may also experience visual disturbances prior to a migraine attack.

Migraine attacks typically last from 4 to 72 hours and can have an enormous impact on work, family and social lives of those impacted by the condition. 03

Migraine remains undiagnosed and undertreated in at least 50% of patients, and less than 50% of migraine patients consult a physician. 04

Migraine affects 12-15% of the population 05 consequently the financial burden of migraine is huge: It is estimated that migraine costs Irish businesses €252 million every year as a result of lost productivity with the average migraineur missing between 1.5 and 4.5 days from work annually. 06 Despite the economic and societal impact of migraine, it remains a misunderstood and under managed condition.