How migraine can do everyone’s head in at work

Are you a migraine sufferer? Or, are you an employer with employees that you are aware regularly suffer with them? If so, you will be delighted to hear that Medical Specialists® Pharmacy have gone to great lengths to make migraine treatment available for the thousands of people that need it after being inundated with requests for help from your fellow sufferers, and this help could enable you to get on with your day-to-day activities without the pain and stress associated with the condition.

Migraine is the most common neurological condition in the developed world. It is something much more intense and painful than a common headache, even though many people confuse the two. With an estimated one in four women and one in 12 men in the UK affected by migraines on a regular basis, this means around 15% of adults in the UK are suffering. Although sufferers may feel alone and isolated, migraine is a health problem even more prevalent than asthma, diabetes and epilepsy combined.

Despite this, it can be still misunderstood and underestimated in the workplace. Statistics indicate that over a third (34.3%) of sufferers are experiencing difficulty or discrimination in the workplace due to their condition. (The Migraine Trust, 2004).

Firstly, let’s look at some hard facts about migraine:

. Each year migraine causes a loss of over 25 million working days at a cost of around £2.25 billion to the economy.
. Migraine and chronic headache are the second most common reasons given for short term absence from work.
. A recent YouGov poll involving 2,105 people saw 15% of workers who pulled a ‘sickie’ used migraine as their excuse for a day off work.
. A survey conducted by The Migraine Trust in 2012 found that almost half (46.3%) of workers with migraine say they are unfairly untreated because of illness-related absence, over a third (40.5%) felt unsupported by their bosses and colleagues, and three in ten (30.5%) had received disciplinary action due to their health condition.

The main obstacle between fellow employees and the employer and their employees, is simply lack of awareness about migraines. Migraine pain can be excruciating for those afflicted, but an attack is often disregarded as ‘just a headache’. In addition, many employers are lacking understanding and not providing sufficient support for staff with migraines due to non-sufferers commonly using migraine as an excuse when they have a ‘sickie’ from work.

It is partly this reason why migraine sufferers feel isolated and unsupported, and employers should do their best to communicate with these particular employees, as even with the severe pain experienced during an attack, many sufferers will still continue to either attend or stay in work despite their productivity levels being negatively impacted.  This could have major implications for employers, both financially and with the subsequent drop in staff morale and productivity.

It is called ‘presenteeism’ when an employee still goes to work despite being unwell, and is rife amongst those with regular migraines and headaches because of the fear of reprisals from bosses.  Employers should have a fair and open communication policy with all employees – not just those with migraines – to reduce the risk of presenteeism, which can be problematic for everybody concerned.

The issue of presenteeism could be down to the fact some employers utilise strict absence record systems that focus on performance monitoring after a certain number of sick days have been reached. Some empathy needs to be shown though from the employer – otherwise stress and anxiety can be caused and exacerbate migraine attacks by acting as a trigger.

You as an employer should be aware that depending on the circumstances, migraine sufferers could be classed as having a ‘disability’ according to The Equality Act 2010.  It is employers’ responsibility to put into place appropriate conditions that make it easier for employees that suffer with migraines to actually do their job to a good standard and stop them being unfairly discriminated against.

Some helpful adjustments that employers can introduce for migraine sufferers may include: make sure employees have frequent breaks where possible, offer flexible working hours, amending shift patterns, carry out necessary improvements to the working environment (lighting, computer screens, work station), and make sure there is easy access to drinking water for all employees.

As well as being flexible with working hours, employers should also consider being flexible with regards to sickness policies to prevent migraine sufferer’s absence (which is highly likely to be only short term) resulting in strict/unfair punishments being handed out to them. Remember that the aforementioned changes do not cost much to introduce, and often have benefits to the wider team. A happier working environment will inevitably lead to increased productivity, and a happy employer!
For anybody still worried about the impact of migraine on their working life or indeed any day-to-day activities, Medical Specialists® offer a fantastic range of migraine prevention and migraine relief treatment which, for UK patients, can be obtained within 24 hours following an online consultation with one of Medical Specialists’® GMC-registered doctors.

Migraines to be blasted away with magnetic pulse device

So you are one of the estimated 1 in 4 women and 1 in 12 men in the UK who are suffering with migraines, what do you do? Well this is where Medical Specialists Pharmacy come in and today we are delighted to announce we can now supply a wide range of proven and popular migraine treatments.

The first goes by the name of Sumatriptan; the active ingredient in over-the-counter Imigran Recovery tablets and prescription-only Imigran nasal spray.

Imigran Recovery tablets begin to relieve migraine headache in a mere 30 minutes, though some people find nasal sprays work faster and easier to use when feeling sick. Known as a type of medicine called ‘triptans’, Sumatriptan has been used for a number of decades by people around the world and is deemed a safe medication, with Imigran being the most widely used triptan.

The causes of migraine attacks are not fully established, but many health experts believe it is the widening of blood vessels in the brain that brings on the familiar throbbing pain with migraine headaches. Sumatriptan helps to narrow the blood vessels in the brain and thus, relieves this pain. It does this by imitating the action of serotonin by stimulating the serotonin receptors in the brain and stopping the transmission of pain signals.

Another widely prescribed migraine treatment is Rizatriptan; the active ingredient in both Maxalt tablets and Maxalt Melt tablets. Both are prescription-only, or obtainable through an online consultation with a Medical Specialists GMC-registered doctor. Like Imigran, Maxalt belongs to a medicine called a serotonin (or 5HT) agonist and again targets the serotonin receptors in the brain.

Maxalt Melt tablets dissolve on the tongue in your saliva and therefore do not require a drink of water when taking them. Those who typically feel sick or vomit when experiencing a migraine attack and thus cannot drink are especially suited to Maxalt melts, in addition to people unable to swallow normal tablets.

The most common of the neurological conditions – migraine – has also this week been in the news for having another new type of treatment to its arsenal. Although oral and nasal medications for migraine are still the most tried, tested and popular, the new device may  benefit the select few who are unable to take traditional anti-migraine treatments.

Surprisingly, the new treatment comes in the form of a magnetic handheld device that transmits pulses through the skull and into to the brain. The official name for the treatment is ‘transcranial magnetic stimulation’ (TMS), and involves holding the device behind a patient’s head and with a simple click of a button, magnetic pulses are sent to the brain helping to disrupt the painful headaches.

One trial of TMS involved 164 patients experiencing at least one migraine attack with visual disturbance, finding pain-free levels with 40% of patients for around two hours after using the device.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), responsible for assessing safety and suitable for the latest treatments, have published guidance stating TMS is eligible to be recommended to certain patients through the NHS.

Although viewed as a potential breakthrough for those who unable to benefit from alternative treatments ineffective, or unsuited (i.e. during pregnancy), patients can only receive TMS if referred to a specialist headache clinic first and NICE are adamant that further research into magnetic therapy is essential.

If you missed the Medical Specialists ‘The misunderstood mystery of the migraine’ article back in November, simply click here for further information about migraines, including the common symptoms of a migraine, a description of the 5 stages of an attack and how the condition differs from a typical headache.