HR0837 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0837 LRB103 40960 ECR 74019 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, There are more than 300 medically recognized headache diseases, including cluster headaches and migraine; and

WHEREAS, Migraine is a genetic, neurobiological disease characterized by episodes known as attacks; and

WHEREAS, Headache diseases impact one in four households in the United States, with more than 42 million Americans living with headache diseases, including approximately four million who have chronic migraine, meaning they experience 15 or more migraine attacks each month; and

WHEREAS, Headache diseases are three to four times more prevalent in women, and Native/Indigenous communities have the highest prevalence of disabling headaches in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Significant disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for headache diseases persist, particularly affecting Black, Hispanic, and Native/Indigenous populations who face underdiagnosis and inadequate treatment; and

WHEREAS, It is estimated that 40 to 50% of persons living with migraine disease are undiagnosed; and

WHEREAS, Migraine is the second leading cause of global disability, and notably one of the most disabling for women under 50 years old; and

WHEREAS, Approximately one in 1,000 people in the United States live with cluster headache disease, medically referred to as one of the most painful conditions a human can experience; and

WHEREAS, Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have two to four times the incidence of migraine compared to the general population, likely due to Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), and posttraumatic headache occurs in up to 92% of military personnel who have sustained mild TBIs; and

WHEREAS, Headache diseases are an economic issue, costing U.S. companies upwards of $78 billion dollars each year in direct and indirect costs; and

WHEREAS, The effects of headache diseases are experienced on a spectrum, presenting with significantly different levels of intensity, frequency, and disability; and

WHEREAS, Migraine disease impacts all systems of the body, and symptoms may include intense pain, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound, smell, and touch, visual disturbances, tinnitus, chills, fatigue, anomic aphasia, or trouble finding words, impaired cognitive function, and numbness and weakness, lasting for four to 72 hours on average; and

WHEREAS, Stigma and misinformation related to headache disease have stifled research and advances in treatment; and

WHEREAS, All persons living with headache diseases deserve fair, equal, timely, and affordable access to new and innovative treatments to live their lives to their fullest potential; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare the month of June 2024 as Migraine and Headache Awareness Month in the State of Illinois.