WHEN Helen Robson started suffering from migraines, she never expected they would force her out of a job.

The 42-year-old worked as a police civilian for 23 years, but lost her job because she had to take so much time off with severe headaches.

She said: “The police were patient with me at first, but I regularly had to take time off because of my migraines, which meant three days in bed for each attack.

She had two or three attacks each month and then developed sinus problems, which made the migraines more frequent.

“I just couldn’t control them. At one point, I was so ill I was taking six weeks at a time off work and I lost my job. Migraine has really blighted my life. No one really seems to understand how much you suffer and just how disabling this condition is.”

Ms Robson is not alone – 25 per cent of the UK’s six million migraine sufferers are estimated to have left a job or not taken one because of their condition.

The fact that it can cause so many problems at work is one reason why migraine – which affects more people in the UK than diabetes, epilepsy and asthma combined – is so much more than just a headache.

In fact, the World Health Organisation rates it among the top 20 most disabling conditions.

During this year’s Migraine Awareness Week (September 5-11), charity Migraine Action is hoping to foster a greater understanding of the condition, particularly in the workplace, by highlighting the potentially severe symptoms that come with the intense headache.

SYMPTOMS

As migraine is a disturbance of the sensory nervous system, various senses can be affected, leading to visual disturbances; sensitivity to light, noise or smell; nausea and vomiting. Symptoms can last from four to 72 hours.

About one in 10 people have aura with their migraines. Common aura symptoms including flashing/flickering lights, zigzag lines and even temporary blindness, plus numbness, tingling sensations and slurred speech.

Some sufferers may have a stiff neck, weakness on one side, partial paralysis, confusion or fainting.

PROBLEMS

Such devastating effects are the reason why a recent Migraine Action survey found nearly a third of migraine sufferers feel unable to obtain or keep full-time work.

Of those who are working, 74 per cent feel judged if they need to take time off due to migraine, and 30 per cent feel that their colleagues treat their condition with cynicism.

In addition, 40 per cent feel their bosses don’t understand migraine, making them self-conscious about explaining their condition.

This has led to migraine in the workplace being adopted as the theme for this year’s Migraine Awareness Week.

Lee Tomkins, director of Migraine Action, said: “Migraine remains misunderstood and can often be treated with a lack of sympathy or even cynicism, especially by work colleagues who may have to cover when individuals have an attack.

“Many migraine sufferers worry how negatively their condition is viewed in the workplace and in the current economic climate, some have very real fears for their jobs.

While YouGov research has shown migraine is one of the most popular excuses for people who are faking sickness absence from work, those who really do suffer from the condition rarely declare it, fearing it will affect their standing at work.

Dr Andrew Dowson, chairman of Migraine Action’s Medical Advisory Board, said: “Migraine sufferers tend to continue at work, suffering in silence, and when they get home, go to bed, or suffer disruption in chores and social activities. They tend to try to compensate and be model employees.”

CAUSES

The specific cause of migraine isn’t known. Mr Tomkins said: “There seems to be an array of misfiring messages going around the brain, with all sorts of different stimuli, but we honestly don’t know what causes it. That’s one of the big issues, because we have no diagnostic tests, and no cure.”

Dr Dowson said a variety of triggers, ranging from certain foods, such as citrus fruits or alcohol, to dehydration, a change in sleep patterns or petrochemical smells, can set off a train of events leading to a migraine attack.

It starts in the brainstem, but involves both the neurological tissues and blood vessels. It’s this neurovascular combination which leads to migraine symptoms.

Dr Dowson pointed out that some migraine sufferers find work stresses become part of the problem and a trigger. They may end up with multiple short absences or even prolonged periods where they can’t work. He said: “The response to such disability is highly variable. Some employers are sympathetic and seek to assist in creating solutions, but sadly, many are the opposite.”

TREATMENT

Treatment varies widely and can range from analgesics (painkillers) if attacks are infrequent, to drugs called Triptans, which replace the chemical serotonin that’s low in migraine, and neuropathic pain drugs for frequent attacks.

Dr Dowson says: “It’s important to be aware that more than two doses of analagesics in a week, especially codeine, can exacerbate headache – as can caffeine.”

Physical therapies to assist stiff neck and shoulders can also be used, and Mr Dowson says some dietary supplements such as vitamin B2, magnesium, CoEnz Q10 and Butterbur may be effective.

Botox injections can be used to treat people with chronic migraine.

Employers can also help those who suffer from migraine.

Mr Tomkins says: “Often simple steps, such as maintaining good lighting and ventilation, and enabling colleagues to have access to water, can make a huge difference and could help to reduce the 25 million working days lost each year to the condition.”

● For more information, call Migraine Action on 0116 2758317 or visit migraine.org.uk/work.