Media
Key facts about migraine
- Migraine is a disabling, neurological condition with a genetic basis.
- Migraine is caused by abnormal brain activity that affects nerve signals, chemicals and blood vessels in and around the brain.
- Certain factors can cause the brain of a person with migraine to become hypersensitive, resulting in an attack.
- Migraine disease can’t be cured, but migraine attacks can be treated.
- Migraine is estimated to affect 642,000 people in Aotearoa.
- Migraine is the fourth largest cause of disability in New Zealand.
- Migraine affects 2–3 times more women than men and is most common in people of working age.
- Migraine affects 10% of children and can present as abdominal pain and headache.
- Different types of migraine include: vestibular migraine, migraine with aura, hemiplegic migraine, menstrual migraine and silent migraine.
- Approximately 7-12% of people with migraine have chronic migraine (15 or more headache days a month).
- The economic cost of migraine in New Zealand is an estimated $5 billion per year, due to healthcare costs and lost productivity.
Key findings from the Migraine in Aotearoa New Zealand Survey (2022)
Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand undertook an online survey of people with migraine in 2022, as little is known about the experience of migraine in NZ, including impacts on work and family life, use of medication and other treatments and access to healthcare.
Some key findings from the 530 survey respondents included:
- Most people reported difficulties with work. 14% were unable to work (23% of those with chronic migraine); 15% could only work part-time; 20% had to choose work with more flexibility and a third worked full-time but not at their best.
- Seven out of ten respondents reported feeling sometimes, often or always judged or misunderstood because of migraine disease in the workplace.
- Four out of ten respondents said they sometimes, often or always felt judged or misunderstood because of migraine disease by (any) health professionals.
- Almost all had seen a GP for migraine, most (70%) within the last 12 months. However, 31% had been unable to see a GP for migraine on at least one occasion, most commonly because of long waiting times.
- Over half of respondents had been unable to see a neurologist, most commonly due to cost or being unable to get an appointment.
- Preventive medications are used to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks and reduce the chance of migraine becoming chronic. Around three-quarters of respondents were eligible for preventive treatment, based on frequency and disability from migraine attacks. However, only 57% of those eligible were actually taking preventive medications. Common reasons for not using preventives were side effects or because they didn’t work.
New Zealand issues and challenges
In recent years, treatment and knowledge about migraine have improved globally. But New Zealand is lagging behind, affecting the quality of life of people with migraine.
What is migraine?
Migraine is a disabling, neurological condition with a genetic basis. It usually presents as a moderate to severe headache affecting one side of the head but can affect both sides. Migraine is associated with sensitivity to light and/or sound (and also smell and touch) and/or nausea and vomiting. Some people can experience a migraine attack that doesn’t include a headache.
Migraine can also cause:
- fatigue
- dizziness and vertigo
- speech difficulties
- sensitivity to touch and smell
- mood changes
- numbness and tingling
- neck and shoulder pain
- brain fog
- visual disturbances.
A migraine attack typically lasts between 2–72 hours.
What causes migraine?
Migraine is caused by abnormal brain activity that affects nerve signals, chemicals and blood vessels in and around the brain.
Changes in the brain’s sensitivity and processing of pain and sensation cause migraine symptoms. The trigeminal nerves and brainstem are areas of the brain that are affected. Migraine is often inherited through families.
What triggers a migraine attack?
Certain factors can cause the brain of a person with migraine to become hypersensitive, resulting in an attack.
Common triggers include:
- hormones
- changes in routine (e.g. changing sleep patterns) and stress levels
- skipping meals or fasting
- changes in weather or temperature
- alcohol
- dehydration.
How is migraine treated?
Migraine disease can’t be cured, but migraine attacks can be treated. Preventive treatments aim to lessen the frequency, duration and severity of migraine attacks. Acute treatments aim to reduce and relieve symptoms during an attack.
Treatment includes medications and non-medication options.
About Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand
Migraine Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand was founded in 2022 and is the only migraine charity in New Zealand. Our mission is to raise awareness of the impact of migraine disease and support people living with migraine in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our vision is to minimise the health, economic and social burden of migraine disease in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Key objectives
- Connect and support people living with migraine.
- Increase awareness of migraine disease and advocate for positive change.
- Create and disseminate robust information about migraine.
- Build a sustainable, trusted and respected national migraine organisation.
- Support New Zealand-focused research on migraine and collaborate with researchers in planning, recruiting and dissemination of findings.
For all media enquiries please email info@migrainefoundation.org.nz
Social media channels
Migraine language
Language and imagery play a vital role in how we understand the world. Too often, language and images used regarding headache diseases disparage and belittle people living with these conditions. The language and images label them as weak, lazy, helpless or victims. This creates shame and stigma that illegitimately justifies the notion that people living with headache, migraine or cluster diseases should be ignored or marginalised. This, in turn, affects the resources society makes available to support their pain and disability. – Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients (CHAMP)
The Headache & Migraine Disease Language & Image Guide is a collaborative effort of the headache, migraine, and cluster patient advocacy community.
Its purpose is to help people who communicate about headache diseases to do so in a more accurate, informed, and empathetic manner.
