Senate Resolution No. 1228

BY: Senator REICHLIN-MELNICK

MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
June 2021, 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 2021, 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 18 and 44, 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 2021, 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.