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An excerpt from the MigraineAgain.com, Migraine Gender Gap: Why Migraine at Work Is a Women’s Health Issue, written by Courtney Kilian.

Migraine Is a Key Factor in the Gender Wage Gap

“As with any chronic condition, Migraine has a substantial impact on one’s life. The effects of Migraine on relationships, career, and finances were looked at closely in a CaMEO (Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes) study with over 13,000 participants — both men and women.

Thirty percent of those with episodic Migraine (defined as less than 15 headache days per month) and 58% of those living withChronic Migraine (those who experience more than 15 headache days each month) witnessed negative impacts from Migraine on their careers (²).

These numbers also translated into concern over long-term financial security with 30% of those with episodic Migraine expressing worry and 57% of those with Chronic Migraine feeling financial stress. The Migraine Research Foundation estimates that costs linked to treatment and lost productivity due to Migraine reach $36 billion each year.

To make matters worse, the severity of Migraine is worse during a woman’s peak earning and motherhood years between the ages of 35 and 55. The gravity of its societal and economic impact is enormous, and it’s a key factor in America’s gender wage gap (³).

Unfortunately, “despite the documented sex-related differences,” explains Worthy, “there remains little research exploring their nature and their impact on treatment, likely due to gender bias in clinical research.” These distorted proportions mark Migraine as a significant women’s health issue, highlighting the necessity to closely look at its impact in the workplace.”

1. Migraine Research Foundation. Migraine Facts. 
2. Buse, D.C., Fanning, K.M., Reed, M.L., Murray, S., Dumas, P.K., Adams, A.M. and Lipton, R.B. (2019), Life With Migraine: Effects on Relationships, Career, and Finances From the Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 59: 1286-1299.
3. The Headache and Migraine Policy Forum. Myths, Facts and How Migraine Disease Impacts Women in the Workplace June 2019
4. Buse, D.C., Fanning, K.M., Reed, M.L., Murray, S., Dumas, P.K., Adams, A.M. and Lipton, R.B. (2019), Life With Migraine: Effects on Relationships, Career, and Finances From the Chronic Migraine Epidemiology and Outcomes (CaMEO) Study. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 59: 1286-1299.