A Study of Type of Chronic Daily Headache in Tertiary Care Population: A Hospital Based Study

Abstract

Background: Chronic daily headache (CDH) is a broad term which includes groups of headache disorders and it is not a diagnosis. Primary and secondary chronic daily headache are the two common types of headaches. We planned the present study to assess and evaluate Chronic Daily Headache & its subtype’s distribution according to age & sex. Materials & Methods: The present study included assessment of pattern of Chronic Daily Headache in Tertiary Care Population. Consecutive patients with chronic daily headache (CDH) attending the neurology and medicine Out Patient Department were enrolled for the study. Here chronic daily headache refers to a group of disorders. So we could not define it but it characterizes by very frequent headache each around for 4 hours (≥15 days a month) including headache associated with medication overuse. CDH group include various primary and secondary headaches. All the results were recorded on excel sheet and analyzed by SPSS software. Results: A total 200 patients with Chronic Daily Headache have been studied. The maximum number of the patients (65%) was seen in the age group of 21-40 years. No patients were seen in 61-65 years. All 78 patients with Medication overuse Headache had either Chronic Migraine or Chronic Tension Type Headache. Mean age of CM patients was lower as compared to mean age of Chronic Tension Type Headache (CTTH) patients, this difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Chronic daily headache frequency & its sub type CM & CTTH are higher in females as compared to males. Female to male ratio is higher in Chronic Migraine (CM) (5.3:1) as compared to CTTH (1.9:1).