Do Covid-19 and vaccination affect migraine severity? Check details
New York, October 5: A recent study published in the European Journal of Neurology suggests that Covid-19 and its vaccination have minimal effects on the severity of migraines. The study involved 550 adults who had received migraine-related care at a headache clinic in Spain. Among these participants, 44.9 percent (247) had experienced Covid-19 at least once, and 83.3 percent (458) had been vaccinated.
Of these individuals, 24.7 percent (61) reported that their migraines worsened since contracting Covid-19, while 11.4 percent (52) reported worsening since vaccination.
Interestingly, among those who perceived their migraines as worsening, individuals who had been infected with COVID-19 were 2.5 times more likely to be concerned about their migraine worsening, and those who had been vaccinated were 17.3 times more likely to have this concern.
However, when researchers examined the electronic diary data of the patients, they found no significant difference in headache frequency one month before and after either infection or vaccination. This held true even when comparing patients who reported migraine worsening to those who did not.
The authors of the study concluded that while headaches are a common and disabling symptom of COVID-19, they may not necessarily lead to an increase in migraine frequency. They suggest that clinicians should convey a more reassuring message to patients, emphasizing that COVID-19 and its vaccines may have only a marginal impact on migraine course, and that individual rhythmicity in migraine attacks might be a more significant factor. This information could help alleviate patient concerns about the effects of COVID-19 and vaccines on their migraines.
- ANI
