Do you suffer from Migraines and wonder who else is going through the same thing you are? Migraines are way more common than you would expect and below are some of the more interesting statistics regarding Migraines.
Women Suffer the Most
- Over 80% of people who have chronic migraines are women. This is more than 25 million Americans.
- Approximately 1 in 4 women will experience a migraine in their lifetime.
- Fluctuations in estrogen levels have been known to cause more severe migraines and a higher frequency.
- The number of adult women who suffer migraines is 3 times more than adult men.
Kids are Not Immune
- It is believed that up to 10% of school age children suffer from migraines, but they tend to do undiagnosed.
- Boys are hit harder as kids, but as adolescence approaches, it shifts quickly to affect girls more.
- Migraine sufferers tend to be absent from school twice as much as kids without migraines.
- If one of the kids’ parents has migraines, there is a 50% chance of inheriting the condition. If both parents have migraines, then that jumps up to a 75% chance of getting migraines.
The World's 3rd Most Prevalent Illness
- Over 38 million people in the US suffer from migraines.
- Over 1 Billion people in the world suffer from migraines- That is 12% of the population!
- Genetics play a huge roll in migraines as it is passed down from parents. It is known that 90% of people with migraines have a family history.
Migraines and the Cost to Society
- Over 155 million work days are lost annually to migraines.
- The lost productivity has been valued at over $35 Billion annually.
- The cost for treating migraines is approx $5 billion annually, but the sufferers spend over $40 billion treating a range of symptoms.
- Migraines are the 6th most debilitating illness in the world.
- Over 20% of migraine sufferers are disabled.
Migraine Research and Funding
- Although it affects a large number of people, funding for migraine research is scant.
- There are only 500 certified headache specialists in the US to cover the over 30 million patients.
- The National Institute of Health funding per patient is around $0.50.
- There are great foundations such as the Migraine Research Foundation which was created to help with the lack of funding.
Treating Migraines
- Medical professionals can prescribe high level pain medication that can help alleviate acute attacks.
- Diet can make a big difference in some patients. Tracking migraines and diet have allowed people to understand foods that “trigger” migraines.
- Supplementation with butterbur, feverfew, magnesium, and others have helped to lower the number of migraine attacks in some individuals.
These are just some of the statistics surrounding migraines and who they affect. If you are interested in learning more, the Migraine Research Foundation has tons of information including research, resources (including doctors), and treatment.
We highly recommend donating to the Migraine Research Foundation if you are interested in helping to fund the fight for an illness that affects so many people. https://migraineresearchfoundation.org/take-action/donate-now/