Declare Migraine Awareness Month

Senate Resolution No. 5526 BY: Senator CARLUCCI MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2018, as Migraine and Headache Awareness Month in the State of New York WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize official months that are set aside to increase awareness of serious health issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body hereby memorializes Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2018, as Migraine and Headache Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month; and WHEREAS, Migraine is a neurological disease with extremely incapacitating neurological symptoms, which typically consists of severe throbbing recurring pain, usually on one side of the head; however, in about one-third of attacks, both sides are affected; in some cases, other disabling symptoms are present without head pain; and WHEREAS, Attacks are often accompanied by one or more of the following disabling symptoms: visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, extreme sensitivity to sound, light, touch and smell, and tingling or numbness in the extremities or face; and WHEREAS, Approximately 25% of migraine sufferers also have a visual disturbance called an aura, which usually lasts less than an hour, and in 15-20% of attacks, other neurological symptoms occur before the actual head pain; attacks usually last between four and 72 hours; and WHEREAS, Migraine is an extraordinarily prevalent neurological disease, affecting 39 million men, women and children in the United States and one billion worldwide; migraine is the third most prevalent illness in the world; nearly one in four United States households includes someone who struggles with migraine, and 12% of the population, including children, suffers from migraine; and WHEREAS, Migraine is most common between the ages of 25 and 55, and affects 18% of American women, 6% of men, and 10% of children; migraine affects about 28 million women in the United States, and roughly one in four women will experience migraine in their lives; and WHEREAS, About 10% of school-age children suffer from migraine; these children are absent from school twice as often as children without migraine; half of all migraine sufferers have their first attack before the age of 12; and WHEREAS, Most people do not realize how serious and incapacitating migraine can be; every 10 seconds, someone in the United States goes to the emergency room complaining of head pain, and approximately 1.2 million visits are for acute migraine attacks; and WHEREAS, While most sufferers experience attacks once or twice a month, more than four million people have chronic daily migraine, with at least 15 migraine days per month; more than 90% of sufferers are unable to work or function normally during their migraine; and WHEREAS, Migraines are not just a bad headache; for many sufferers, migraine is a chronic disease that significantly diminishes their quality of life; depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances are common for those with chronic migraine; 20% of chronic migraine sufferers are disabled; and WHEREAS, Healthcare and lost productivity costs associated with migraine are estimated to be as high as $36 billion annually in the United States; American employers lose more than $13 billion each year as a result of 113 million lost work days due to migraine; and WHEREAS, Migraine remains a poorly understood disease that is often undiagnosed and undertreated; in 2017, there were approximately 500 certified headache specialists in the United States and 38 million sufferers; and WHEREAS, More than half of all migraine sufferers are never diagnosed; the vast majority of migraine sufferers do not seek medical care for their pain; only 4% of migraine sufferers who seek medical care consult headache and pain specialists; although 25% of sufferers would benefit from preventive treatment, only 12% of all sufferers receive it; and WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater awareness of this serious health condition, and more must be done to increase activity at the local, State and National levels; and WHEREAS, Nonprofit organizations like the Global Healthy Living Foundation, US Pain Foundation, Chronic Migraine Awareness Inc., Miles for Migraine, American Migraine Foundation, Association of Migraine Disorders and National Headache Foundation work daily to ensure migraine patients receive the care and support they need by advocating and educating patients and caregivers; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2018, as Migraine and Headache Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York.