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University Hospitals works to address shortage of migraine specialists

Posted at 7:59 AM, Jun 27, 2024

CLEVELAND — June is Headache and Migraine Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about chronic conditions and advocate for those impacted.

It's important to know the difference between a migraine and a headache to get the proper treatment. Good Morning Cleveland anchor Tiffany Tarpley spoke with University Hospitals' Director of Headache Medicine, Deborah Reed, about the signs and symptoms of migraines.

"If you have severity, if you have nausea, or if you have light sensitivity and if you have those three things, then you're 98% likely to have migraine," said Reed.

Research shows one in seven people worldwide suffer from migraines, and they are up to three times more likely in women than men. Right now, there is a shortage of doctors who specialize in the field. University Hospitals is working to change that.

"For each migraine specialist, there's 88,000 people who could use that migraine specialist," said Reed. "We are doing a lot of campaigns to try and attract people to treat headache medicine, but also to help primary care providers treat headache patients maybe a little more aggressively."

University Hospitals and the nonprofit Miles for Migraines are teaming up to raise money for migraine research and train more headache doctors. A run and walk is scheduled for Saturday, July 13, at the North Chagrin Reservation in Willoughby Hills. For more information, click here.