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

Abstract

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.