Background: Thyroid hormone acts as a vital factor of development and growth, and in adults plays a critical part in the regulation of the function and metabolism of virtually every organ system. Study objective: The objective of this study was to identify the pattern of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism in Arar, Northern Saudi Arabia and some related socio-demographic determinants. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Arar, Northern Saudi Arabia. A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used. A pre-designed online questionnaire was distributed among the targeted population and filled by participants after a brief introduction or explanation of the idea of the research to the public. Sampled participants filled out the self-reported predesigned questionnaire to collect socioeconomic and thyroid diseases related data. Results: The study included 160 participants. The total prevalence of thyroid diseases was 36(22.5%). Of the 36 reported cases of thyroid diseases, 11(30.5%) were reported as having hyperthyroidism and 25(69.5%) were having hypothyroidism. Of the 11 patients with hyperthyroidism9 (81.8%) were males and 2(18.2%) were females. Of the 25 patients with hypothyroidism, 4(16.0%) were males and 21(84.0%) were females. Conclusion: Hypothyroidism is the prevalent form of thyroid diseases in Arar, Northern Saudi Arabia, females: male ratio was about 1:5. Knowledge of various factors influencing thyroid dysfunction can help the public to guard against these prevalent diseases. More studies should be carried out in Arar city to stress on the individual thyroid disorder. The studies should be community based with clinical and laboratory diagnosis of cases.

BackgroundThe term facial palsy generally refers to weakness of the facial muscles, mainly resulting from temporary or permanent damage to the facial nerve. Common causes of facial paralysis include infection or inflammation of the facial nerve, head trauma, head or neck tumor, stroke.ObjectiveTo outline the incidence of several etiologies and the profile of patients with peripheral facial paralysis attending the outpatient clinic of the neurology department in Hospitals of Arar City, Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was carried out in Arar city from October 2016 to May 2017. The study was conducted in the outpatient clinic of the neurology department in hospitals of Arar City. Any ages of both sexes of all newly diagnosed unilateral facial palsy were included in the study. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 15, using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. P-value was considered significant if <0.05ResultsThe mean age of the facial palsy cases was 33.65 (±11.71) years. Among the studied participants, the total prevalence of facial palsy was 26.3% (61% females and 39% males). The right side of the face was affected in 51.2% and the etiology was exposure to cold air current in 92.7% of cases. The treatment was physiotherapy in 80.5% of the cases, medical in 17.1% and surgical in 2.4%. There was significant relationship between smoking and the occurrence of facial palsy (p<0.05).ConclusionThe study revealed that facial palsy was common in Arar city. The rate is higher among males than females. We also concluded that exposure to cold air current was the main etiology. We recommend health education sittings to bring awareness to the public about the nature, causes, risk factors, prevention and treatment of the disease.

Background: Migraine is an important healthcare concern that silently affects diverse populations globally. The rising prevalence of migraine affects the quality of life of individuals, the economic burden of a nation, and work productivity. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of migraine in Saudi Arabia.Methodology: A systematic data search was designed, and scientific data were collected from leading databases, including PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Ovid, and Google Scholar.Results: Thirty-six studies, comprising 55061 study participants based on defined inclusion criteria, were statistically analyzed using StatsDirect software. The pooled proportion of migraine in Saudi Arabia among all 36 selected studies was 0.225617 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.172749 to 0.28326). The study was grouped into four categories: general population, students (of both genders), studies based on females only, and healthcare professionals in primary health care (PHC). The migraine pooled proportion among all four groups using random effects (DerSimonian-Laird) was 0.213822 (95% CI = 0.142888 to 0.294523), 0.205943 (95% CI = 0.127752 to 0.297076), 0.345967 (95% CI = 0.135996 to 0.593799), and 0.167068 (95% CI = 0.096429 to 0.252075), respectively. Conclusion:The estimated pooled proportion of migraine in Saudi Arabia is 0.225617, which is comparable to or even higher than other parts of the Middle East region. Migraine has a great impact on quality of life, productivity, and economic capacity, and increases the healthcare burden. Early detection and necessary lifestyle measures are necessary to minimize this number.

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