"I've got to stop," one man said after being overwhelmed by the experience. He later told his migraine-afflicted girlfriend, "I'm sorry that I ever doubted you."
"Oh my God. I don't even know how you function," one woman told her best friend.
For Excedrin's experiment, only a few migraine symptoms were replicated: auras, disorientation, extremely bright lights, floating spots and tunnel vision, not the extreme pain.
The company said that it developed the machine in the hope that it would help demystify a condition that was widely misunderstood.
"Those who don't experience the condition can't fully understand it, Excedrin's website said. "That's why [we] created the world's first migraine simulator ... This technological innovation makes it possible for non-sufferers to see what a migraine is really like."
Migraines manifest differently in different people. While they often involve severe pain, other symptoms can include sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, dizziness, and visual disturbances such as flashing lights and zig-zag lines.
According to the NY Daily News, "The Migraine Experience" will be available for download as an app in May. The simulation can be experienced using Google Cardboard.
- nzherald.co.nz
