Type Of Event: Observation Day

Today is the first day of Migraine and Headache Awareness Month. We kick off #MHAM by recognizing Migraine at Work Day to raise awareness for the need for employer accommodations for people living and working with migraine disease and headache disorders. Annually, more than 157 million workdays are lost in the United States. Decreased productivity and health care costs $37 billion yearly. Learn more about how to build a migraine-friendly workplace from Migraine at Work: migraineatwork.org

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that veterans are more likely to develop migraine and headache diseases. Many researchers believe this occurs as a result of their service in the military. New data show that 350,000 Global War on Terror (GWOT) veterans sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Nearly half of GWOT veterans with deployment-related TBI, reported headaches 15 or more days per month and 89% met criteria for migraine. Three million GWOT veterans were exposed to toxic open burn pits. Compared to veterans deployed but not exposed to burn pits, veterans deployed and with burn pit duties, years later reported nearly twice the risk of functional limitations due to migraine. We are committed to advocating for the veterans who have served us.

During #MHAM, we honor those we’ve lost to migraine/headache disease. Please light a candle or light your home with a purple light on June 7 at 6pm EST in remembrance. Then take a picture and share it on social media with #ShineALight.

We call on all people living with headache diseases to join us in fighting systemic racism and unconscious biases to eliminate health disparities. African Americans bear the brunt of existing healthcare challenges, especially when related to headache diseases. CHAMP and DiHAC (Disparities in Headache Advisory Council) seek to advance this conversation on Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”), a holiday that commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States.

Today we’re acknowledging the millions of men who are living with headache disease. Headache is gender blind. The pain is real for men too. If you are a man living with the symptoms of headache, migraine or cluster take the steps to get an accurate diagnosis. You deserve treatment and relief.

CMA Day — #RallyAgainstChronicMigraine today! Raise awareness and stop chronic migraine stigma wherever you are — your bed, at the doctor’s office, in a meeting, with your family. Tell the world how you rally to fight chronic migraine! chronicmigraineawareness.org/rally

#CMAware #migraine #ChronicMigraine #MHAM2022 #CMADAY2022