Girls with early puberty may develop migraine

Adolescent girls who attain early puberty may also have a greater chance of developing migraine headaches, suggest researchers.

We know that the percentage of girls and boys who have migraine is pretty much the same until menstruation begins. When the menstrual period starts in girls, the prevalence goes way up,but what our data suggests is that it occurs even before that, said one of the researchers.

About 10 % of school-age children suffer from  migraine, according to the study . As adolescence approaches, the incidence of migraine increases rapidly in girls and by age 17 about 8% of boys and 23% of girls have experienced migraine.

The girls ranged in age from 8-20 and the study took place over a 10-year period beginning in 2004. Girls enrolled in the study at age 8-10 were examined during study visit every 6-12 months. Researchers determined when they showed initial signs of thelarche ( breast development), pubarche ( pubic hair growth) and menarche ( start of menstrual periods).

Girls answered a headache questionnaire to find out if they suffered from migraine headache, no migraine or probable migraine the latter is defined as meeting all the diagnostic criteria for migraine except one. The average age at which they completed the survey was 16.

Of those surveyed, 85 girls (1%) were diagnosed with migraine headache while 53 (7%) had a probable migraine and 623 (82%) had no migraine.

Researchers found that girls with migraine had an earlier age of thelarche ( breast development) and the onset of menarche ( menstrual periods) than those with no migraine.

On the average breast, development occurred 4 months earlier in those with migraine while menstruation started 5 months earlier. There was no difference in the age of pubarche between those with migraine and no migraine.

There was a 25% increases in the chance of having migraine for each year earlier that a girl experienced either thelarche or menarche. This suggests a strong relationship between early puberty and the development of migraine in adolescent girls, said the lead investigator.

The age of onset of thelarche, pubarche or menarche did not differ between those with probable migraine and no migraine, she said.

Previous research suggested that migraine often starts with the onset of menstrual cycles during menarche in adolescent girls. But this study looks at earlier stages of puberty such as thelarche and pubarche, the researcher explained.

To suggest the origins of migraine may occur actually before menstrual periods begin is pretty novel. At each of these stages, different hormones are starting to appear in girls. During pubarche,  testosterone and androgens are present and during thelarche, there is the very 1st exposure to estrogen. Menarche is when a more mature hormonal pattern emerges. Our study implies that the very 1st exposure to estrogen could be the starting point for migraine in some adolescent girls. It may be the Big Bang Theory of migraine, he said.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                      FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                     https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com