Teens and Headaches: the Facts

Many people who suffer from chronic headaches develop the health disorder as teenagers. A recent study shows strong correlations between headaches and certain lifestyle aspects. It appears that teens can make themselves much less likely to experience head pain by paying attention to these three basic activities.

Teens with headaches: common causes

The study, which appeared in the peer-reviewed journal Neurology, looked at migraines and other types of headaches in relationship to three behaviors: smoking, overeating, and exercising. Specifically, the scientists looked at the number of headache sufferers among teens who were frequent smokers, categorized as overweight, and/or worked out less than two times per week. That data was then compared to control data.

The research team discovered that a headache problem was three times as likely to occur among teenagers with all three characteristics (versus a control group without any of them). More than half of the teens who were overweight, smoked, and avoided exercise – a full 55% – experienced headaches on a regular basis.

Teens who only exhibited two of the three characteristics dealt with migraines and headaches almost twice as often as their counterparts without those issues. Versus the healthy group, smoking made teens 50% more susceptible to headaches, while being overweight made them 40% more susceptible. Lack of exercise had a less marked impact, but inactivity did increase headache likelihood 20%.

Chronic Headaches: Norwegian study on teenagers

The study in Neurology was conducted on teenagers in Norway. The details on almost 6000 teenagers were reviewed. Each of them was measured, asked to list their day-to-day activities, and surveyed on the frequency with which they experienced headaches. Overall, 1 out of every 3 girls had regular headaches, while only 1 out of every 5 boys did. (This statistic fits with migraine data that consistently shows women having a higher per-capita incidence of the disease.)

The results of the study suggest that teens with headaches could be significantly helped by quitting smoking, developing healthier eating habits, and exercising more frequently. Educating teens that the three negative behaviors are linked to pounding and throbbing sensations in the head could give many of them a strong argument to generally improve their health: pain relief.

If you are one of the millions of Americans suffering from a migraine or other type of headache on a regular basis, the MiRx Protocol may be for you. Rather than simply "putting out the fire" on a case-by-case basis, we offer a real long-range answer to cure your head pain. Contact a MiRx Provider today.