Factors Associated with Over-the-Counter Analgesic Overuse among Individuals Experiencing Headache

Abstract

The prevalence of chronic daily headache (CDH) worldwide is 4–5%. Treatment for CDH with prophylaxis and abortive medications is often delayed, increasing disease severity. Consequently, increased usage of over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics can lead to medication overuse headache (MOH). This study aimed to assess factors affecting OTC analgesic overuse causing headaches. Methodology: A cross-sectional structured survey was conducted using voluntary response sampling. Among 1177 respondents, 459 individuals with headache were enrolled in the study. Results: Most participants were female (73.5%), almost half were aged 20–39 years (48.1%), and over half used OTC analgesics (56%). A significant association was found between OTC analgesic overuse and factors, such as chronic disease (p = 0.007), working status (p = 0.015), smoking (p = 0.02), headache frequency >15 days per month (p = 0.000), migraine-type headache (p = 0.01), preventive medicine use (p = 0.018), and emergency department visit (p = 0.018). Conclusion: OTC analgesic overuse among individuals with headache is affected by several factors, including the presence of chronic diseases, working status, smoking, and migraine-type headaches. However, preventive medicine and emergency department visits were considered to have protective effects. Health care providers should screen patients for MOH, increase their awareness, and follow MOH guidelines to treat chronic headache.

Headache Prevalence and Its Associated Factors in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

“…This means that there is a higher possibility for more future cases of headaches and the development of their complications, such as having more chronic headaches owing to medication overuse. Similarly, prolonged use of over-the-counter medications was found to be associated with a higher duration of headaches [48]. In contrast, using analgesics of any type for acute headache attacks for a short duration was found to abort the attack and work as a protective factor against developing a chronic headache.…”