Migraine Changes with Age: IMPACT on Migraine Classification

Abstract

This study highlights specific age differences in migraineurs, in most instances showing an age decline in frequency of variables, such as stress as a trigger, photophobia, phonophobia, dizziness, throbbing, pressure, stabbing, and being forced to sleep or rest with headache. Hormones as a trigger peaked in women in the 30- to 49-year-old age group. Increases with age were seen with alcohol, smoke, and neck pain triggers, neck location, and running of the nose/tearing of the eyes. The 50+ age group showed trends suggesting a "lesser acute migraine attack." These findings support the concept of lessening features of migraine over time resulting in a lower prevalence of migraine in older patients.

Personality Characteristics in Migraine and Tension Type Headache

“…Increases with age were seen with alcohol, smoke, and neck pain triggers, neck location, and running of the nose/tearing of the eyes. The over 50 age group showed trends suggesting a lesser acute migraine attack [35]. Considering our bigger sample of women compared to men in our study, hormonal trigger maybe engorge the role of age in different groups of headache.…”

Relationship of Migraine and Body Mass Index (BMI)

“…Lichten et al 9 studied a group with mean age of 37.85 ± 1.53 years, which was high in comparison to this study. Kelman 10 found mean age of migraineurs 37 ± 11.7 years which is also high.…”

“…In migrainous group 58.6% in BMI <23, 30% in BMI 23-25, 36.4% in BMI >25 noted their headache as throbbing, in contrast most of the nonmigraineurs described it as dull in nature. Kelman 10 observed that character of headache was throbbing in 73.5% cases of migraineurs. Pressure/ tightening (non-pulsating) quality, bilateral location and mild or moderate severity is the diagnostic features of chronic tension type of headache.…”

“…In control group headache persisted for 4.6 hours in BMI <23, 4.4 hours in BMI 23-25 and 3.4 hours in BMI >25 groups. Kelman 10 observed that duration of headache in migraine patients was 24 hours in average.…”

Psychological, Cognitive and Quality of Life Features in the Elderly with Chronic Headache

“…In addition, chronic headache is often not an isolated pain state but is frequently accompanied by neck pain [22] . Recent studies have demonstrated that headache changes with age and neck pain was more frequent in elders with headache [23,24] . The incidence of other comorbid musculoskeletal pain was also evident in patients with headache [7,25] .…”