Migraine in Premenstrual Syndrome; Frequency and Associated Factor

Background: The prevalence of migraine headaches significantly increased in girls after menarche. This indicated that there is a closely relation between hormonal changes especially the estrogen level with migraine headaches. Objectives: The aim of this work was to determine the frequency of migraine and its associated factors in medical students affected with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done on 218 of medical students (between 18 to 30 years old) in Mashhad in the North-East of Iran from March 2015 to March 2016. Premenstrual syndrome was confirmed by Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST). Migraine headache was determined according to International Headache Society (HIS) criteria. The frequency of menstrual migraine and its associated factors including educational degree, life style, marital status, menstrual regularity, family history and type of migraine were determined among the participants with PMS. Data analyze was performed by SPSS 21 and STATISTICA 10. Results: Of 218 students with premenstrual syndrome, 32 persons (14.7%) had migraine headache. 84.4% of migraines were without aura and the mean attacks per months were 4.34±1.93. The most prevalence of migraine observed in students with 22.09±2.44 years old, intern students (16.1%), Mariel students (20%), students with irregular menstruation (26.3%), students with positive family history (36.5%) and students which lived in dorm (26.1%). Conclusion: According to our results, the prevalence of migraine in students with PMS is in the range of 14.7%. Therefore, it is recommended that women suffering from PMS be evaluated for migraine based on diagnostic criteria of HIS.