Face mask and protective eyewear-associated headache among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence, clinical features, and factors related to personal protective-associated headaches. We conducted a cross-sectional study among healthcare workers using an online questionnaire. We surveyed 305 participants. The N95 face-mask was the most used device by 93%. Of 305 respondents, 206 experienced headaches while wearing protective equipment; 36.06% suffered from a headache disorder before the pandemic. The prevalence of de novo headache was 39.01%. Gender, age, or exposure to coronavirus disease were not determining factors to develop headache. Headache intensity was higher in front-line healthcare workers and was correlated (r = 0.728) with the time wearing protective equipment. The more days per month the participants wore personal protective equipment the shorter the time to headache onset after donning equipment. Our study confirms the relationship between frequent and prolonged use of protection devices with headaches and reaffirms the implication of external pressure as a primary mechanism.