New Survey Indicates: Migraines Impact Millions Of Sufferers At Work

WARREN, N.J., Sept. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Excedrin® released national survey findings on the impact migraines have on the workforce. Workplace migraines are more prevalent than many other illnesses including heart disease, diabetes and arthritis¹ – yet the findings report a lack of understanding. The majority of employees who experience migraines at work (81%) elect to suffer in silence, downplaying the severity of their pain or choosing to just "power through."

Sufferers may choose to hide the impact of a migraine at work since 41% report that their coworkers sometimes don't take their migraines seriously, and more than a third (35%) say coworkers believe they are faking their migraine. Plus, 42% of migraine sufferers have had to debunk migraine myths – such as using the condition as an excuse for a hangover.

That's why Excedrin® is continuing its mission of providing relief and empathy for the more than 38 million migraine sufferers in the United States – this time, by breaking down migraine barriers in the workplace.²

With so many people hiding their condition, Excedrin® is shining a light on the impact of migraines at work by enlisting the help of real-life migraine sufferers with the Excedrin® Works campaign. These workplace migraine experiences are brought to life through 360-degree virtual reality videos. Excedrin® Works is designed to highlight the negative impact migraines have in the workplace, and empower sufferers to speak up about their condition and educate those around them.

"Nearly seven out of ten (68%) migraine sufferers feel that their co-workers don't truly understand what they go through since they have never experienced a migraine themselves, making sufferers feel isolated and stigmatized," said Scott Yacovino, senior brand manager, GSK Consumer Healthcare U.S. Pain Category. "Migraines don't take a day off, and that's why we created Excedrin Works® – to ignite conversations about migraines in the workplace and to help bridge the gap between sufferers and non-sufferers alike."

Excedrin® is partnering with Danica Patrick to share her personal experience with migraines, help spread awareness and discuss the impact the condition can have at work.

"As a migraine sufferer, I know how tough it can be just to try to function while experiencing one, let alone attempt to work. As a race car driver, my team and I depend on each other every day at the track, and there's no such thing as a sick day," said Danica Patrick. "Struggling with migraine symptoms is tough, but worrying about letting your team down isn't easy either. That's why it's so important for those who don't suffer to understand the impact of a migraine."

Excedrin's® Commitment to its Migraine Sufferers
As the leader in head pain relief for more than 50 years, Excedrin® is on a mission to deliver relief and true empathy for migraine sufferers.  Sufferers and non-sufferers alike can visit Excedrin.com for more information. There, they can view 360-degree virtual reality videos of real migraine workplace experiences, download a conversation guide to use in the workplace and learn more about Excedrin®.

"Migraines are not just bad headaches – the pulsing pain can be debilitating and the associated symptoms, like nausea and extreme sensitivity to light and sound, have a tremendous impact on people's lives," says Dr. Elizabeth Seng, a New York based clinical psychologist and Excedrin® head pain expert. "Migraines can strike at any time, often interfering with someone's ability to work. Excedrin Works® was designed to help shine a light into this debilitating illness and give sufferers the tools to have open conversations about their migraines at work."

About Excedrin® Migraine
The first non-prescription medicine approved by the FDA to treat all the symptoms of a migraine including, pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and/or sound. Excedrin^® Migraine is the #1 Neurologist recommended* over-the-counter brand for migraine relief.

About GSK Consumer Healthcare
GSK Consumer Healthcare is one of the world's largest consumer healthcare companies. Our purpose is to help more people around the world to do more, feel better and live longer with everyday healthcare products. We have a heritage that goes back over 160 years. We own some of the world's best loved healthcare brands, including Sensodyne^®, Theraflu^®, Excedrin^®, Nicorette^® and NicoDerm^®CQ^®, FLONASE^®, and TUMS^®. These brands are successful in over 100 countries around the world because they all show our passion for quality, guaranteed by science. They are inspired by the real wants and needs of the millions of people who walk into pharmacies, supermarkets, market stalls and go on-line all over the world every day, and choose us first.

Our goal is to build a global, growing business we call a Fast Moving Consumer Healthcare (FMCH) company, dedicated to everyday healthcare with all of the scientific expertise and quality guarantees that demands, working at the speed and with the genuine consumer understanding the modern world expects.

About GSK
GlaxoSmithKline – one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For company information visit: http://www.gsk.com.

*Among OTC medicine for migraines. Symphony Health Solutions, 2015.

Media Contact Information:
Caryn Previdi – GSK Consumer Healthcare
[email protected]
862-579-8534

Jenna Glynn
[email protected]
212-445-8276

¹ Mitchell, R. J., & Bates, P. (2011). Measuring Health-Related Productivity Loss. Population Health Management, 14(2), 93–98. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3128441/

² Migraine Facts. Np. (2017). Migraine Research Foundation. https://migraineresearchfoundation.org/about-migraine/migraine-facts/

SOURCE GSK Consumer Healthcare

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