Soldiers in Iraq Have More Migraines
Soldiers in Iraq Have More Migraines
Rate of the Debilitating Headaches More Than Twice That of General Population, Military Study Shows
The soldiers with definite migraines reported headaches an average of three days a month and had 470 sick call visits for them, Theeler says. So, the headaches interfered with their duties.
"And only 2% used triptans, the most effective medication," Theeler notes. "The remaining 97% used over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin."
While the reason for the high rate of migraine among the soldiers isn't entirely known, it likely is due to the stressstress, trauma, and sleep deprivation faced by soldiers, Theeler says.
The study will probably come as a surprise even to headache specialists.
"It's a population I didn't think of," says George Sarka, MD, MPH, a physician in Laguna Hills, Calif., who sees headache patients and was attending the meeting. But, he adds, "It makes sense," with the stress of combat likely serving as a migraine trigger.
"The military should take heed of this," say Sarka, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Theeler agrees. "We have started to educate troop commanders," so they can be more aware of the possibility, he says.
Another strategy is to set up screening programs to identify migraine sufferers before soldiers ship out, Theeler explains.
Theeler has also begun research on posttraumatic stress disorder and migraine.
And he is following the original pool of soldiers surveyed. "Our data suggests the soldiers continue to have migraine after they get home. And they may be more severe."
Those findings are preliminary, however, Theeler says.
Soldiers in Iraq Have More Migraines
Rate of the Debilitating Headaches More Than Twice That of General Population, Military Study Shows
Headaches Affect Performance
The soldiers with definite migraines reported headaches an average of three days a month and had 470 sick call visits for them, Theeler says. So, the headaches interfered with their duties.
"And only 2% used triptans, the most effective medication," Theeler notes. "The remaining 97% used over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin."
While the reason for the high rate of migraine among the soldiers isn't entirely known, it likely is due to the stressstress, trauma, and sleep deprivation faced by soldiers, Theeler says.
The study will probably come as a surprise even to headache specialists.
"It's a population I didn't think of," says George Sarka, MD, MPH, a physician in Laguna Hills, Calif., who sees headache patients and was attending the meeting. But, he adds, "It makes sense," with the stress of combat likely serving as a migraine trigger.
Looking for Solutions
"The military should take heed of this," say Sarka, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Theeler agrees. "We have started to educate troop commanders," so they can be more aware of the possibility, he says.
Another strategy is to set up screening programs to identify migraine sufferers before soldiers ship out, Theeler explains.
Theeler has also begun research on posttraumatic stress disorder and migraine.
And he is following the original pool of soldiers surveyed. "Our data suggests the soldiers continue to have migraine after they get home. And they may be more severe."
Those findings are preliminary, however, Theeler says.