Risk of Migraine May Be Higher With Rosacea

Since the 1970s, doctors suspect that there may be a possible increase in the incidence of migraine headaches in patients with rosacea. This article provides an overview of the prevalence of migraines in patients with rosacea. You can refer to a Dermatologist in Model Town Lahore to learn more about your migraine symptoms and whether it is linked with rosacea.

What is rosacea?

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition that is often mistaken for an allergic reaction, acne, or eczema. The condition usually affects the face with symptoms of irritated skin, pimples, and facial flushing. Sensory symptoms include, lower pain threshold, irritated eyes, burning or stinging feeling and hypersensitivity of the areas affected. Rosacea affects around 1 to 20% of the population, although the true incidence may be much higher because people often receive the wrong diagnosis. There is currently no cure for rosacea but the symptoms can be treated using creams and medications.

The chronic inflammatory skin condition affects the face and eyes most commonly and is exclusively viewed as a dermatologic condition. Though, in the last 10 years, recurring evidence associating rosacea with other neurologic and systemic diseases suggests that it may be neurologically linked.

What do scientific studies show?

While there are only a few studies that have examined the connection between rosacea and migraines. A recent study published in the American Academy of Dermatology demonstrates that women with migraines, particularly when they get older, particularly over 50 years of age, have an increased risk of developing rosacea. The study included 100,000 migraine patients from the United Kingdom; the study found a small association between migraine and rosacea in women. The association between the disorders was seen to be stronger in women as they aged. The study found no particular association between rosacea and migraines in men.

Another study used an inverse approach and asked patients with migraine whether they exhibited an increased risk of rosacea. The findings of the study concluded that there is a significant association between migraine and the development of rosacea. In another population-based controlled study conducted on 49,475 patients with rosacea, it was noted that the prevalence of migraine was 12.1% in the rosacea population, whereas, 7.3% in the general population. Over the course of the study, it was seen that patients with rosacea suffered a higher incidence of new-onset migraine. In addition, the increased risk of migraines was only significant among women and highest among patients 50 years or older.

The studies also show that triptans, a family of drugs used for the treatment of migraines may also be associated with the symptoms of rosacea. Triptans work on relieving headaches by constricting blood vessels and reducing swelling. The study also found that women who use triptans to control migraines also show an increased risk of rosacea.

These findings add to and expand previous findings, suggesting that rosacea may increase the risk of migraines in women. It is further interesting to note that migraine and rosacea symptoms share several triggers.

Schedule an appointment with a Dermatologist in DHA Karachi for a consultation, today.

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