Migraines can drain your pocketbook, says an article in the current issue of the American Journal of Managed Care.

Families with at least one person suffering from migraines spend about 70 percent more each year on medical costs than other families.

Even family members without migraines have higher medical costs when they live with a migraine sufferer, which could mean the illness contributes to unhealthy stress levels in the home.

The differences in cost remained the same even after taking into account other health conditions that might have affected migraine patients. The number of lost workdays, short-term disability days and worker’s compensation claims were also higher in migraine families.

Households with a juvenile migraine sufferer averaged about $4,400 a year in additional health-care costs, while those with an adult sufferer averaged about $4,700 a year. When both a child and a parent were diagnosed with migraines, annual costs averaged about $6,900 higher.