Muhammad Umar, Mazhar Badshah, Maryam M, Amir Naeem, Laiq Rehman, Ahmed M.
Prevalence of different types of headache in medical students of Rawalpindi & Islamabad.
Int J Rehab Sci Jan ;04(01):15-9.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of different types of headache in medical students of Rawalpindi / Islamabad. Methodology: A questionnaire based epidemiological survey was done among 521 (male 238, female 283) undergraduate medical students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The mean age was 24.01 + 2.6 years. Two questionnaires were designed for the study: one general, consisting of 10 questions and the other one particular for headache sufferers, containing specific items of International Classification of Headache Disorders diagnostic criteria for different types of headache. The data was recorded according to the responses provided by the students. The collected data was analyzed to assess the prevalence, pattern & the triggering factors of headache. Results: The study population comprised of 54 % (f=283) females and 46 % (f=238) males. The mean age of the participants was 24.01 + 2.6 years. The study demonstrated that 63.9% (f=333) of students suffered from some form of headache. A higher percentage of females 66.3% (f=221) experienced it as compared to males 33.7% (f=112). Among the affected population, 8.1 % (f=27) were suffering from migraine, 38.7 % (f=129) were having tension type headache, 4. 5 % (f=15) cluster headache and 41.4 % (f=138) cervicogenic headache and the remaining subtypes were prevalent in the rest 7.2 % (f=24) of population Conclusion: In medical students, its effects are seen causing problems and creating stress for them by restricting their participation in studies and social activities. Cervicogenic headache was found to be the major contributor in most of the individuals among all the recurring headaches, mostly found among the individuals using laptops for prolong time periods. The students also reported an increase in the symptoms since after their admission to the college.

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