Migraine among Patients Presenting With Headaches to the Department of Internal Medicine in a Tertiary Care Centre

Abstract

Introduction: Migraine is one of the common neurovascular disorders characterized by persistent headaches ranging from moderate to severe pain. It has a high prevalence affecting more than one billion population each year across the world and has high morbidity, especially among young adults and females. The exact cause and mechanism of the migraine is unknown. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of migraine among patients presenting with headaches to the Department of Internal Medicine in a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Internal Medicine in a tertiary care centre from 1 August 2022 to 31 October 2022. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee. All the patients presenting to the Department of Internal Medicine with headaches as primary complaints were included. Patients with incomplete information and altered sensorium were excluded. Convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Results: Among 69 patients, the prevalence of migraine was 13 (18.84%) (9.61-28.07, 95% Confidence Interval). Of those diagnosed with migraine headaches, 4 (30.77%) were male patients, and 9 (69.23%) were female patients. The mean age of diagnosis of migraine headache was 30±11.5 years. Conclusions: The prevalence of migraine among patients presenting with headaches to the Department of Internal Medicine was found to be higher than in the other studies done in similar settings.

Keywords

• aura; headache; migraine; prevalence.