Abstract
Headache occurs in a large proportion of young students. In this study we evaluated the incidence of headache in young people, examined associated factors and described the drug therapy used. A structured questionnaire was directly administered to 2700 students of secondary schools of Catanzaro. We recorded that headache symptoms started between 9 and 12 years of age. The incidence density was higher in people living in the city (84%) and in tobacco and alcohol users than non–users (p < 0.01). The most common drugs used were non–steroidal anti–inflammatory drugs. In 20% of people, this treatment induced the development of chronic headache. These data showed that morbidity from headache is often unrecognised and undertreated. Better management of headache symptoms and therapy could reduce the frequency of headache episodes, with a reduction of adverse drug reactions.
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Open Access This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0 ), which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
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Gallelli, L., Iannacchero, R., De Caro, E. et al. A questionnaire–based study on prevalence and treatment of headache in young children. J Headache Pain 6, 277–280 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10194-005-0206-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10194-005-0206-x