Webmd.com recently (March/April 2014) posted data regarding migraines/headaches in the U.S. and around the world. This is what they found:
47% of the world’s population has had a headache in the last year.
There are 28 million Americans living with migraines.
3% of Americans have chronic migraines – at least 15 days of headache each month for at least 6 months.
If one parent has migraines, the risk of his or her child having them is 40%.
If both parents have migraines, the risk their child will have them is 90%.
There are 3 million emergency room visits per year attributed to migraine or headaches.
6% of men in the U.S. have migraines.
18% of women in the U.S. have migraines.
There are 113 million workdays lost in the U.S. each year due to migraines.
The cost of migraines to U.S. employers is $13 billion from lost workdays.
The total cost of migraines in the U.S., including medical care, lost workdays, and lost productivity is $20 billion.
Migraines rank #8 among the world’s most disabling medical conditions.
Webmd.com’s sources included American Academy of Neurology, American Migraine Foundation, Migraine Research Foundation, National Headache Foundation, and World Health Organization.