The odds of developing a new headache or experiencing worse headaches are higher among patients who have been hospitalized with a mild head injury, according to a study published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.
To investigate the relationship between head injury and subsequent headache, researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim, Norway, analyzed headache data from two large population-based epidemiological surveys conducted 11 years apart. They also reviewed data from hospital records to determine head injuries during the 11 years between the two health surveys.
Head injuries were rated according to a standard scale and headaches were classified in three ways: exacerbation was defined as new headaches or an increase in frequency; improvement was defined as no headache or a decrease in frequency; and stable was defined as experiencing headaches in both surveys but at the same frequency.
A total of 294 people had been hospitalized with head injuries during the 11 years between the two surgeries compared to 25,662 individuals who had not. Among those who experienced head injuries, 11 had two head, which brought the total of head injuries to 305.
Almost 12 percent of head injuries were considered minimally severe, 71.8 percent were considered mild, 10.9 were considered moderate, and 5.4 percent were unclassifiable. None was considered severe. In addition, more than half of survey respondents cited falls as the cause of their head injury.
People with mild head injury were more likely to experience new headaches than the controls. They also had almost double the odds of experiencing an exacerbation of their headache than controls. There was no significant association between moderate head injury and any change in headaches. Nor was there a significant difference based on sex: men and women were at the same risk for new or worsening headaches after head trauma.
The researchers recommend that anyone who seeks medical care for a head injury should be strongly urged to follow up with their primary care doctor if they develop headaches or if existing headaches worsen.
The researchers hope future studies will identify people at risk for new or worsening headaches following head trauma—and uncover the pathophysiological mechanisms that can be targeted for prevention and treatment.
From a public health perspective, the researchers strongly recommend prevention strategies, including reducing the risk of car accidents, falls, and violence—the three most common causes of head injury.