All Migraine sufferers are experts in their own condition. They are aware of the multitude of triggers which can set off a migraine, after a lifetime of having to deal with the disease. The Air quality in any town or city is important for the general health of its populace. Poor air quality has been linked to a myriad of respiratory health issues, from allergic reactions to cancer. Worryingly, a link has recently been found between pollution and migraines. The link between air pollution and migraines was found by Dr Lee Hyewon and his team from South Korea. Dr Hyewon wished to explore the link between environmental factors (specifically pollution levels and temperature) and migraines.
THE STUDY
Dr Hyeown’s team collated and analyzed data from 18,921 patients, who required emergency admission into hospital (2008-2014), specifically for migraines. This data was cross-referenced with air quality data from 27 monitoring sights within Seoul, the nation’s capital. The air quality data contained hourly information regarding various pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide, alongside the temperature in the city at the time. The research data used for the study was very large and over a long enough period of time to be considered reliable.
ANALYSIS
A detailed, sophisticated, statistical algorithm was used to help analyse all the data. Air quality and temperature was compared with migraine hospital admission rates, to allow Dr Hyewon’s team to get a sense of any sort of correlation.
A correlation was indeed found between pollution levels, temperature and migraine attacks. This correlation was found to be independent of other factors, such as underlying health conditions, or gender. When pollution levels were higher, the research data showed more patients would be admitted to hospital with migraine attacks. Though all pollutants measured showed a distinct correlation, high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide seemed to be the strongest predictor of hospital admission for migraines.
Whilst confirming the link between air pollution and migraine attacks, Dr Hyewon and his team also stumbled upon another interesting correlation. When high pollution levels coincided with hot days, the rates of admissions to hospital for migraines increased. Air temperature itself was not an independent cause of migraine attacks, as the level of migraine admissions did not ebb and flow with the seasons, but rather, both air pollution and hot days seemed to work in tandem to increase the chances of triggering a migraine attack.
So what the researchers essentially found was that there is a synergistic effect between air quality and air temperature in triggering migraine attacks
The particulate matter in the air which was measured as correlating with migraine attacks were mainly those related to car exhaust vehicles. Seoul, where the research data was collected, is a city of almost 10 million people; a huge city containing a very large number of cars, trucks, motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, all of which are releasing migraine triggering pollutants.
DISCUSSION
A research study such as this cannot provide concrete answers as to the reasons why pollution triggers migraine attacks, or why pollution combined with higher temperatures triggers a higher incidence of migraines. Dr Hyewon and his team did, however, posit theories grounded in science, as to why it might be the case.
In hotter temperatures, the body naturally absorbs more toxic elements than when it is cold. When there is a particularly hot day, with a high level of pollution, the body will increase its absorption of said pollution. This then causes an increase in activity in the hypothalamus, which is a known region of the brain linked to migraine attacks.
It is also a behavioural trait of people to spend more time outdoors in hot weather, allowing more time to absorb outdoor pollution than if they stayed indoors during cooler weather. The combination of these factors can help explain why the synergy between air quality and temperature causes an increase in migraine attacks.
‘what the researchers essentially found was that there is a synergistic effect between air quality and air temperature in triggering migraine attacks’
FINAL THOUGHTS
Empowering migraine sufferers with the complete picture of their condition is the key to allowing them to live healthy, fulfilled lives. As it has become a normal habit for millions of sufferers to stay away from too much chocolate, or red wine or cured meats, perhaps it may be good practice to begin limiting one’s exposure to heavily polluted areas, particularly in the summer-time. If you have been suffering random migraines with no apparent cause for some time, take note of the air quality of your home city; maybe it will bring you one step closer to becoming headache free.
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