WE SURVEYED 1,000 WOMEN TO UNDERSTAND HOW MIGRAINES AFFECT THEIR LIVES

71% of millennial migraine sufferers surveyed wish they had visited a doctor sooner.

Visiting a doctor is an important step in understanding and managing your migraine condition — after all, a diagnosis is required in order to start proper treatment. Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said they took too long between their first migraine and getting diagnosed. In fact, more than a quarter of millennial migraine sufferers surveyed waited four or more years after first experiencing migraine-like symptoms to get diagnosed.

Feeling intimidated by a doctor visit? For a look at what to expect, check out this article on how a doctor diagnoses a migraine. You’ll want to be prepared to talk about your symptoms and walk your doctor through your headache history, including when your head pain first occurred, where the pain was, and how it felt, among other things.

90% of millennial migraine sufferers surveyed do not use apps to manage their condition …

…And yet 79% of those surveyed wish they had better techniques to treat their migraines.

Why does tracking your migraines matter? One of the most important tools you can use to help manage your condition is a migraine diary. This record, if accurate, can help you and your doctor monitor the frequency, duration and severity of your migraines over time, identify patterns that may help determine migraine triggers and improve treatment, as well as track medication use and how you responded to the medication. Keeping track of your migraines is one of the most important tools for care and management.

Nearly two thirds of those surveyed would give up social media to not have to experience a migraine again.

Can you imagine giving up your social media feeds — tough, right? Not for a young woman who gets migraines. Additionally, 71% of millennial migraine sufferers would give up their favorite pair of jeans to never suffer a migraine again. At first glance, giving up a pair of jeans might seem like a trivial trade-off for the serious pain of a migraine. But for any woman who has tried on 100 pairs of denim to find just the right fit, this statistic probably doesn’t seem too far off.

59% of millennial migraine sufferers surveyed wish non-sufferers would understand that “I’m not faking my symptoms.”

The isolation of migraine sufferers can feel very real — 88% of sufferers surveyed feel that only other sufferers can truly understand what they’re going through. But those we surveyed are eager to talk more about their experience; 81% of millennial migraine sufferers say they’d like to have more open conversations about migraines.

Got a friend or a loved one who sufferers from migraines? Here’s what not to say. Not sure how to help? For some ideas, check out true.

70% of millennial migraine sufferers wish they had someone to talk to about their migraines

Knowledge is power. Learn exactly what a migraine is, common migraine symptoms, signs you might be having your first migraine, and surprising migraine triggers. And if you know a young migraine sufferer, go ahead and open that dialogue.

As for symptoms, here’s the breakdown of those that survey respondents suffer from:

• 88% are sensitive to light (learn more about photophobia)
• 82% experience pain on one or both sides of the head
• 83% are sensitive to sound
  
• 56% experience fatigue
  
• 55% feel lightheaded
  

Now tell us: What do you think about these statistics? We’re listening @Excedrin on Twitter and Facebook.