Stress and Its Correlates in Migraine-Headache Patients with a Family History of Migraine

Frequency of migraine and its associated triggers and relievers among medical students of Lahore: a cross-sectional study

Introduction

Headache is a widely prevalent illness that negatively impacts people's lives, leaving them functionally incapable of performing regular everyday tasks. The global burden of headache is 40%, of which migraine accounts for 47%.

Objective

This study aims to determine the frequency of migraine among medical students of Lahore and its characteristics, associated triggers, and relievers among medical students.

Methodology

A cross-sectional study was conducted in medical colleges after obtaining ethical approval. Migraine was diagnosed using the criteria provided in the International Classification of Headache Disorders, Third Edition (ICHD-3), and data on triggers, relief, and demographics were collected. The information is analyzed using SPSS 22.

Result

The data were collected from 522 medical students. The average age of the students was 21.3 ± 2.0 SD (in years). About 146 (28.0%) of the medical students have migraine according to ICHD-3 criteria and were diagnosed initially. Gender was insignificantly associated with migraine (P-value=0.32). Students with psoriasis, hypertension, and polycystic ovarian syndrome were statistically significantly related to migraines with a P-value=0.002. Dehydration is the most frequent aggravator, and adequate sleep is the most frequent reliever of migraine.

Conclusion

The findings show a high frequency of migraine. They are similar in both genders, depicting that stressful lifestyles, inadequate sleep patterns, and bizarre dietary habits make them more prone to migraine episodes. So, further, detailed studies should be done on evaluating triggers and relievers of migraine and their interrelations with migraine so we can focus on preventive strategies, diagnosis, and treatment of migraine.

Headache Characteristics and Risk Factors Among Healthcare Providers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Introduction Headache is a considerable factor in decreased productivity and work efficiency. This study aims to measure the characteristics of headaches and the risk factors among healthcare providers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study included 353 healthcare providers from Al-Alhsa, Saudi Arabia. An online questionnaire was conducted to assess the demographic and occupational characteristics, headaches, numerous factors such as smoking, caffeine intake, physical activity, and medical conditions to determine their associations with headaches, as well as the impact of headaches on productivity. Results Among participants who reported headaches, 15.6% and 4.5% had been previously diagnosed with tension headaches and migraines, respectively. The mean duration of headaches was 7.09±18.16 hours; 38.5% of headaches were throbbing in nature, while 61.5% were pressing. The headache was on one side in 51.6% and accompanied by nausea and vomiting in 41.1% and 24.1%, respectively. Moreover, 53% and 41.9% experienced worsening of headaches by exercise and light, respectively. Tension headaches occurred more in older healthcare providers (P <0.05) and those who reported working night shifts (P=0.002). Healthcare providers with tension headaches reported having an intrusive leader and violence at work (P=0.038 and P=0.013, respectively). Caffeine consumption, emotional stress, and using oral contraceptive pills (OCP) were significantly correlated with migraine (P=0.023, P=0.017, and P=0.004, respectively). The reported headache affected the productivity of 62.59% of individuals. Conclusions Headache is common among healthcare providers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The study indicates that tension headache is associated with aging, night shifts, having an intrusive leader, and violence at work. In contrast, migraine is correlated with caffeine consumption, emotional stress, and OCP use. The productivity of healthcare providers is affected negatively by headaches.

Medication-overuse headache: clinical profile and management strategies

Medication-overuse headache (MOH) is a disabling secondary headache disorder, with challenging consequences for affected patients and health care resources. It is defined as headache that occurs on ≥ 15 days per month in a patient known to have primary headache disorder due to regular overuse of acute or abortive headache medication for more than 3 months. MOH affects 1-2% of the world's population in their productive age. New advances in headache neurosciences and development of new treatment options specific for headache, along with an understanding of the clinical profile and pathophysiological mechanisms of MOH, can help improve patient outcomes and decrease the burden on the health care system. This work will review MOH, identify updated clinical assessments and recent management approaches.