Air pollution is associated with increased migraine activity, according to a study published today in the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Both short-term and cumulative exposure to air pollution, as well as climate factors such as heat and humidity, were linked to more frequent and severe migraine attacks.
The study, which followed more than 7,000 people with migraine in Israel’s Negev desert for an average of ten years, does not prove that air pollution causes migraine attacks, but it shows a strong association.
Researchers looked at daily exposure to traffic emissions, industrial pollution, dust storms and weather conditions, then compared this to records of when people visited hospital or primary care with acute migraine. They also checked pharmacy data to see how many doses of triptan migraine medications participants needed.
They fund that people exposed to short-term high levels of nitrogen dioxide were 41% more likely to visit hospital or a clinic for migraine than those not exposed to high levels. Those exposed to high levels of solar ultraviolet radiation were 23% more likely to seek help.
Cumulative exposure also mattered. People with long-term high exposure to nitrogen dioxide were 10% more likely to have high use of migraine drugs, while those exposed to high levels of PM2.5 from vehicle exhaust and burning fuels were 9% more likely to rely heavily on medication.
Climate conditions appeared to amplify the effects. High temperatures and low humidity made nitrogen dioxide more potent, while cold, humid conditions intensified the impact of PM2.5.
Study author Ido Peles, MD, of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev said: ‘These results help us to better understand how and when migraine attacks occur. They suggest that for people who have a susceptibility to migraine to begin with, environmental factors may play two roles: intermediate-term factors such as heat and humidity may modify the risk for attacks, while short-term factors such as spikes in pollution levels may trigger attacks.
‘These findings highlight opportunities for anticipating what care will be needed. As climate change intensifies the frequency of heat waves, dust storms and pollution episodes, we will need to integrate these environmental risk factors into our guidance for people with migraine. When high-risk exposure periods are in the forecast, doctors can advise people to limit their outdoor activity and use air filters, take short-term preventative medications and start using their migraine drugs at the first sign of a problem to ward off attacks.’
Photo: Kostiantyn Usatenko
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