Migraine Awareness Week 2025
This Migraine Awareness Week 2025, the National Migraine Centre surveyed 300 people across the UK to understand how the public perceives migraine. The results revealed widespread misconceptions about this serious neurological condition and highlight a pressing need for greater education.
Migraine Awareness Week 2025
What we learned this week
Our survey shows how far we still have to go to debunk the ‘just a headache’ myth and raise awareness that migraine is a serious, disabling neurological condition.
- 71 per cent characterised migraine as merely a ‘bad headache’
- 88 per cent believed a headache is always present during an attack, despite many experiencing migraine without head pain
- 96 per cent did not know that abdominal pain or stomach upset can be a migraine symptom
- 23 per cent didn’t know migraine can be legally classed as a disability, and 54 per cent were unsure
- 35 per cent thought migraine affects men and women equally and 32 per cent were unsure. In reality, migraine is more than twice as common in women than in men.
- Among those in work or education, 66 per cent said there was no quiet space to recover during an attack. Lack of supportive environments can prolong suffering and increase absenteeism.
Why this matters
Migraine is a debilitating neurological disease affecting around one in seven people worldwide. Symptoms can include intense head pain, visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, sensitivity to light and sound, vertigo, brain fog and other cognitive difficulties. Misunderstanding fuels stigma, inadequate support and delayed diagnosis.
If you or someone you know needs specialist care, you can book a consultation with our headache doctors: www.nationalmigrainecentre.org.uk/migraine-clinic/book-a-consultation/