Timothy S.Y., Kwanashie H.O., Nyandaiti Y.W., Watila M., Mava Y., Sadiq G.U., Maspalma D.I., Bwala A.Y., Abdussalam B.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria; Department of Med
Timothy, S.Y., Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria; Kwanashie, H.O., Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria; Nyandaiti, Y.W., Department of Medicine, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Nigeria; Watila, M., Department of Medicine, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Nigeria; Mava, Y., Department of Paediatrics, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri, Nigeria; Sadiq, G.U., Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria; Maspalma, D.I., Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria; Bwala, A.Y., Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria; Abdussalam, B., Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria
Migraine is a markedly disabling condition and exerts a significant burden on the sufferer in terms of pain, suffering and impaired quality of life. This study aimed to assess the impact of weather changes in migraine attack. One hundred consecutive adult migraineurs that attended the Neurology Clinic of the Department of Medicine, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital from May, 2008 to December, 2009 and met the inclusion criteria were evaluated using structured questionnaire. Eighty four percent (84%) and 16% of the studied migraineurs usually found dry period (November - May) and wet period (June - October) unfavourable respectively. Fourty six gets their migraine triggered during the warmest months (February - May), whereas the remaining 38 mostly experienced migraine attack during harmattan (November - January) dry period. Wet weather period (high humidity plus high or low temperature) was found to triggered migraine attack in 16% of the studied migraine patients. There was statistical significant difference in migraine head pain due to wet and dry period (p<0.05). Therefore, Weather changes especially during harmattan and heat period was found to triggered migraine attack significantly higher than during rainy season (p<0.05). The higher humidity and harmattan winds normally experienced during dry period may be responsible for an increase in positive ions or gases in the air triggering migraine head pain.