Businesses must handle headache of migraine’s impact on workplace productivity

Migraine is recognised as one of the world’s most prevalent diseases and, according to the Global Burden of Disease study in 2019, ranks second among causes of disability around the globe.

Sufferers of this neurological disorder experience headaches that cause intense, throbbing pain, often on one side of the head, which can be accompanied by fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. These symptoms, which can last for hours or even days, have an impact on people’s lives, jobs – even the wider economy.

However, many sufferers are slow to seek medical advice or remain unaware of the different available treatments, and may think they are simply prone to “bad headaches” or feeling the side effects of some other physical ailment.

For that reason, a major initiative has been launched in Hong Kong to increase awareness of migraine and ways to mitigate its impact. It aims to encourage greater understanding and action to help sufferers prevent the start of a migraine or lessen the frequency through having appropriate medication when needed and making changes in their lifestyle, diet and daily routine.

“Migraine is a complex headache disorder which affects blood vessels and pain pathways in the brain,” Dr Yannie Soo, a specialist in neurology in Hong Kong, says. “The exact cause is not known, but there is a genetic component to it. There are usually some stimulants which start a cascade of abnormal signals.

“It can be an internal or environmental stimulus that first causes some blood vessels in the brain to dilate. That causes the release of chemicals that give rise to pain signals in the head, and sometimes around the eyes as well.”