Migraine is a common and often debilitating neurological condition that affects millions of people worldwide. By increasing awareness, we can help reduce the stigma associated with migraine, improve access to accurate diagnosis and treatment, and encourage research into achieving a better understanding of the condition and developing new treatments.

This is why the Emirates Neurology Society (EMINS) is in collaboration with Pfizer and together have planned a public awareness campaign titled “Migraine Matters” in June to mark the “Migraine Awareness Month”.

Migraine’s impact on the lives of the patients is usually underestimated by society, despite Migraine being the 3^rd leading cause of disability worldwide. Migraine can have a significant impact on patients’ social, personal and professional lives. As the condition makes it difficult to attend certain work, school or social events and might lead the patients to cancel plans with family and friends or skipping important meetings at work. This can lead to feelings of isolation, frustration, and depression. Additionally, the unpredictability of migraine attacks can make it difficult to plan ahead, which can make it challenging to maintain social relationships. Additionally, migraine attacks lead to compromised performance and productivity at work or school, and increased levels of stress, which all leads to decreased quality of life.

Listen to Abdullah, a Migraine patient from Kuwait, telling his story on how it has affected his career and social life while navigating this condition with two jobs. The lack of awareness about Migraine’s impact on the patients’ lives has even made it worst for Abdullah and many other migraine patients.

‘’I sometimes have migraine attacks that last for more than two days, I even had to present episodes live while going through a Migraine attack. When I, or any other migraine patient, tell our managers that we have to skip work today due to a migraine attack, it is not always well-understood.”

In his video, Abdullah urges all involved stakeholders to join efforts in raising awareness about Migraine among the society in order to ease the lives of migraine patients.