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Guest urges Highland Heights to mark June as Migraine and Headache Awareness Month
Summary
Mark Barnes, a local resident who has experienced cluster headaches, asked council to endorse migraine awareness and described national advocacy for the Headache Act and the shortage of headache specialists; council added a proclamation to the agenda and approved it.
Mark Barnes, a guest speaker at the Highland Heights City Council meeting on June 9, described his personal experience with cluster headaches and urged the council to increase local awareness during June, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month.
"The best way to describe a cluster headache is to imagine someone driving a spike into your head," Barnes said, describing attacks that can last 10 minutes to an hour and, in his case, sometimes occur in daily clusters for a month at a time. He said his involvement with the national nonprofit Headache Alliance and advocacy on Capitol Hill aims to improve care and awareness for migraine and headache disorders.
Barnes told council that, in Ohio, about two million people suffer from migraines or headache disorders and that there is currently only "one headache specialist for every 44,000 sufferers," which he said makes timely treatment difficult. The guest speaker said the Headache Act — pending federal legislation — would create a national alliance of doctors, researchers, advocates and patients to report to Congress and improve care.
Council approved adding a proclamation recognizing June 2026 as Migraine and Headache Awareness Month to the meeting agenda and carried the motion by unanimous vote. The proclamation addition was offered by Mr. DiLalla and seconded by Mr. Goff.
