Everyone has had a headache at some point in their life. Then there’s a pounding in the back of your head, a tug in your forehead, and it stings in your temples. And more and more often it hurts so badly that the affected or sick person cannot work.
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) – According to the Barmer health insurance company, more and more people in Baden-Württemberg are suffering from headaches that are so severe that they can no longer work and are on sick leave. Last year, this applied to the equivalent of 1.5 out of 100 insured persons in Baden-Württemberg, according to the current Barmer Health Report 2022. In 2014, this value was still 0.9, as the insurance company announced on the occasion of the day of the headache on September 5th.
According to the report, 15 to 19 year olds suffer most frequently from headaches. “Last year they were sick six times more often than the 60 to 64 age group,” said Barmer state manager Winfried Plötze. This is all the more worrying because younger people tend to be healthier and generally go to the doctor less often. According to Barmer, the main reasons for the pain in younger people are factors such as stress, fears and worries.
“Perhaps the bare numbers convey that the whole thing is rather succinct,” said Plötze about the data from all age groups. “But they show a clear trend, and it’s going up.” The number of unreported cases is certainly large. Many people suffer from headaches and do not take sick leave as a result, but treat themselves. The differentiation of the more than 200 known types of headache is particularly important with a view to treatment.
According to Barmer, it is not always necessary to immediately resort to medicine. “Relaxation techniques, sport and a healthy lifestyle can spare those affected some medication,” said Plötze. Tension headaches are often caused by incorrect posture, for example when sitting at the computer for a long time. “Regular stretching, getting up from your desk and exercising can help,” said the Barmer country manager. Endurance sports have been shown to have the same effect on migraines as taking painkillers as a precaution.
For the health report, Barmer evaluated the data of more than 336,000 insured persons in Baden-Württemberg aged 15 to 64.
