Outdoor Pollution and Headache

Abstract

The aim of this study was to clarify a possible relationship between pollution and worsening of headache in the industrial city of Turin. From October 1992 to June 1993, we examined a group of 32 patients suffering from various headache types. During these months, they kept a daily record of their headaches and associated disturbances. Changes in pain frequency and severity were recorded every hour of the day and compared hour to hour with the various degrees of pollution recorded in the main streets by a monitoring station. The influence of meteorological parameters was also taken into consideration. During winter, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide showed a simultaneous hyperconcentration on the same days and the same hours. Increased incidence of headache attacks and increase in severity corresponded to the same hours, days, and months. The findings were statistically significant (P = 0.008, Student's t-test). An isolated increase in nitrogen dioxide only (without an increase in carbon monoxide which was only recorded once) induced headache a couple of hours after the peak concentration was reached. Among the meteorological factors, only the highest values in wind velocity were shown to exert a significant influence on worsening headache frequency and severity.

Emergency department visits for migraine and headache: a multi-city study

“…We detected significant effects of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulates on ED visits for headache. This result agrees with those reported in the literature [7]. In addition, we verified the results by performing the analysis separately for some cities.…”

“…Air quality in the home [3], office environment [4,5], and the occupational setting [6] may also exacerbate headaches. A daily diary study of 32 headache sufferers in Italy revealed that the severity and frequency of headaches was related to days with higher concentrations of carbon-monoxide and nitrogen dioxide [7]. Headaches were more commonly reported from a neighbourhood with a pulp mill, with higher sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions, compared to one without [8].…”

Air Pollution and Doctors' House Calls: Results from the ERPURS System for Monitoring the Effects of Air Pollution on Public Health in Greater Paris, France, 1991–1995

“…There are only two references on outdoor air pollution and they report a positive association with headache (Marttila et al, 1994;Nattero and Enrico, 1996). Moreover, a study by Wilkinson et al (1994) shows that by the way of bronchial responsiveness, asthma may be an independent risk factor for frequent headache in children, after adjusting for age and smoking in the home (RR ‫ס‬ 3.24, 95% CI ‫ס‬ 2.19-4.77).…”

Ambient sulphur dioxide exposure and emergency department visits for migraine in Vancouver, Canada

“…Air quality in the home [3], office environment [4,5], and occupational setting may play a role in the exacerbations of migraine headache [6]. A daily diary study of 32 headache sufferers in Italy revealed that the severity and frequency of headaches correlated with days when elevated concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide were recorded [7]. In another study, the headache reported was more common in a neighborhood with a pulp mill, compared to one without [8].…”