FREQUENCY OF PATIENTS WITH MIGRAINE AND TENSION-TYPE HEADACHE PRESENTING IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Abstract

Background: Headache is one of the most common neurological complaints encountered in emergency departments, accounting for a significant proportion of acute medical visits.

Objective: To determine the frequency of patients with migraine and tension-type headache presenting in the emergency department.

Methodology: This Cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Neurology, National Hospital and Medical Center, Lahore, from, November 2024 to April 2025. A total of 190 patients presenting with primary headaches in the emergency department were included through non-probability consecutive sampling. Individuals of both genders aged 16 to 60 years were enrolled after obtaining informed consent.

Results: Out of 190 patients, 82 (43.2%) were diagnosed with migraine and 108 (56.8%) with tension-type headache. The mean age was 33.9 ± 10.4 years. Females (66.3%) were more frequently affected than males (33.7%). The majority of patients (36.8%) were within the 26–35-year age group. Among migraine patients, the most common symptoms were photophobia (75.6%), nausea/vomiting (67.1%), and phonophobia (57.3%), while tension-type headache patients predominantly experienced stress-related pain (75.0%) and sleep disturbance (63.0%). Stress (57.4%) and lack of sleep (48.9%) were the most frequent triggering factors. A statistically significant association was found between gender and type of headache (p = 0.02).

Conclusion: It is concluded that tension-type headache was slightly more prevalent than migraine among patients presenting with primary headaches in the emergency department. Females and younger adults were more commonly affected, with stress and sleep deprivation emerging as the most frequent triggers.