March 9, 2009

experts comment on effects of air pollution and pressure on headaches, as published in Neurology

Researchers in the US have identified a relationship between changes in levels of air temperature, pressure and pollution, and the onset of migraine, raising the possibility of new avenues for understanding the condition.

Professor Peter Goadsby, University of California, San Francisco and Institute of Neurology, London, said:

“An interesting study that confirms earlier research from Canada that barometric pressure change – and here, increased temperatures – can precipitate migraine.

“The challenge for clinical science is to link this seemingly odd trigger to the brain mechanisms involved in migraine.”

Dr Andrew Dowson, Chairman of Migraine Action’s Medical Advisory Board, said:

“This paper reports a study that investigates the attendance in an emergency room (casualty department) with headache in relation to ambient temperature, barometric pressure and air pollution. It repeats previous studies from Canada.

“The suggestion is that higher temperature and, to a lesser degree, lower barometric pressure, lead to higher attendance; but that air pollution did not have a clear relationship.

“The study is of high quality methodologically and recognises three main problems: that the doctors did not diagnose as per the International Headache Society guidelines; that the temperature was not that personally experienced by the patient but rather a central reading for the geographical area; and that the timing of the onset of headache was not accurate (the time of hospital contact was recorded). In addition of course we must recognise that most people with headache do not attend casualty or even call a doctor but simply self medicate and rest.

“I am sure that migraineurs will be interested in these results which will likely confirm personal observations more often than surprise.”