Do Headaches Really Affect Productivity In The Workplace?

DETROIT (WWJ) - Just about everybody suffers from a headache every now and again. But what toll does that take on our performance at work?

WWJ's Rob Sanford reports that millions of americans suffer from headaches and migraines each year.

Ann Arbor neurologist and pain medicine specialist Dr. Joel Saper said across the globe, headaches wreak havoc on the workplace in the form of absenteeism and loss of productivity.

"So, even those that go to work, they don't produce. Headaches rank in the top three reasons why people don't go to work on a given day."

Dr. Saper said up to four-percent of the nation's population suffers from daily headaches, adding the number is higher for women than men.

A 2006 survey of more than 1,400 working adults indicated that more than one-third of those polled had at least one bad headache per month. Among those who said their frequent bad headaches affect their work, about half reported that their headaches made them work less effectively or decreased their productivity.