Around 50% women with migraine have described a link between migraine and menstruation, although fewer than 10% of women fit the aspects for pure menstrual migraine.
In girls,
the headache rate linearly augments with higher gynaecological age and the
menses-related painful syndromes, like headache and dysmenorrhea, are strongly
interrelated. It implies that peri-menstrual headache is highly prevalent among
adolescents, interpreted in a recent population-based study published in 'The
Indian Journal of Pediatrics'.
Luigi
Bianchin et al. intended to evaluate the rate of peri-menstrual headache, assess
the headache pain pattern during the menstrual cycle and validate its
relationships with physical, lifestyle and psychosocial factors among
school-aged girls.
A total
of 4973 students fulfilled the self-administered questionnaire on features
comprising headache and dysmenorrhea, demographic and behavioural
characteristics, menarche, menstrual pattern. The prevalence of headache and
mean pain intensity score at 3 menstrual cycle phases, i.e. premenstrual,
menstrual, in-between period were evaluated, both overall and by the
gynaecological year.
Along
with mean pain intensity score, the prevalence of 3 different patterns of peri
menstrual, mid-cycle or acyclic headache was also assessed. The prevalence of
at least once anytime headache during the menstrual cycle was found to be
64.4%. There was a significant association of gynaecological age, middle social
level, physical activity, oral contraceptive use and dysmenorrhea with a
headache at the multivariable logistic analysis. Around 83.4% girls had peri-menstrual
headache (44.6% premenstrual, 38.8% menstrual), 3.5% had mid-cycle headache and
13.2% had acyclic headache. There was a significant association of
gynaecological age and dysmenorrhea with headache pattern.
The study
investigators suggest, "The anamnesis and monitoring of menstrual health
should be monitored while taking care of girls with having headache."
The Indian Journal of Pediatrics
Menstrual Cycle and Headache in Teenagers
Luigi Bianchin et al.
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