By developing workplace coping strategies, severe headache can be avoided, writes Sylvia Thompson.
It can start with blurred vision and sensitivity to light and noise. Then, after about 20 minutes, a vicious headache and vomiting kicks in, followed by the need to lie down in a quiet, darkened place until the symptoms subside or medication takes its course.
The onset and symptoms of a migraine attack may vary among individuals, but at least one in every 10 Irish people will have experienced some or all of the above symptoms.
Although no longer the hidden condition it used to be, migraine is still something many sufferers don't speak publicly about. As a result, the Migraine Association of Ireland has decided to highlight migraine in the workplace during this year's Migraine Action Week, which starts next Monday.
"Over 90 per cent of Irish sufferers say that migraine attacks affect their performance at work and migraine is responsible for the loss of at least half a million working days each year in Ireland," says Peter Murphy, chief executive of the Migraine Association of Ireland. The average sufferer of migraine, or migraineur, loses two days per annum from work and the equivalent of another four days in reduced effectiveness.
The unemployment rate in severe migraineurs is two to four times higher than average. But, before sufferers and their families and friends become depressed by these statistics, it's important to point out that migraine can be managed and lost productivity kept to a minimum.
Seeing your GP and explaining how migraine is affecting your work is the obvious starting point.
Working out which medication suits you - a group of drugs called Triptans work well as a treatment approach and there are various preventative drug therapies - and developing management strategies are the keys to coping with migraine.
The Migraine Association of Ireland has produced two excellent new leaflets on migraine in the workplace. The leaflet for sufferers suggests practical tips to combat migraine at work.
These include: taking regular breaks, especially from computer screens and stressful situations; eating regularly (bringing your trigger-free lunch to work); watching your caffeine intake (caffeine is a well-known migraine trigger); protecting yourself from loud or constant noise; and meeting your deadlines early to buy time.
Having your medication at hand during working hours, keeping an icepack in the canteen freezer and saving less taxing, more routine work for days when you are working through an attack are other practical tips.
The Migraine in the Workplace leaflet for employers aims to dispel myths associated with migraine and suggests how working conditions, communication and awareness can help employers and employees manage the condition better and, therefore, reduce the time lost as a result of migraine attacks.
"The first thing for everyone to know is that migraine is a neurological disorder with a high genetic predisposition - if one of your parents has it, you have a 50 per cent chance of getting migraine too," says Dr Edward O'Sullivan, clinical director of the Migraine Clinic in Cork city. "The modern workplace is more dynamic which means that it is more noticeable if someone isn't working well. That means that employees are more likely to have to explain their circumstances to their bosses. But, that said, there is also more recognition that migraine is a disabling condition," says O'Sullivan.
According to O'Sullivan, having migraine doesn't mean you are not coping with the challenges of your job. It just means you have to be more careful about how you manage your work. He stresses the importance of time management to reduce stress and keeping a migraine diary so as to learn how to recognise your triggers.
"Air travel can also be a trigger for a migraine, due to sleep deprivation and the changing time zones," he adds. The use of muscle relaxation techniques are recommended to combat the onset of migraines during flights. Creating a migraine-friendly workplace is a certain way to improve productivity. Having a quiet room for sufferers can, in fact, mean the person is back at their workstation sooner. The employers' organisation, IBEC, intends to create awareness about migraine in a forthcoming newsletter.
"Migraine sufferers need sympathetic employers. They need areas where they can lie down for a hour. Sleep itself can help limit an attack. If people have places where they can switch off, this will reduce absenteeism," says O'Sullivan.
Migraine Action Week takes place from September 13th to 19th. A medical symposium on advanced migraine management gets under way on Thursday evening in the RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin. Public seminars on migraine will take place this Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Prince of Wales Hotel, Athlone, Co Westmeath and in the Holiday Inn, Letterkenny, Co Donegal on Sunday, September 19th.
The Migraine Association of Ireland's helpline can be contacted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday at: 1850 200 378 .