Title
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Migraine Patients in Latin America
Date Issued
2023
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Reyes-Alvarez M.T.
Santana Vargas A.D.
Velez K.
Rodríguez-Leyva I.
Marfil A.
Miranda S.
Zegarra-Valdivia J.A.
Publisher(s)
MDPI
Abstract
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, confinement, fear, lifestyle changes, and worldwide health care impacted almost all diseases. Reports from countries outside Latin America revealed differences in migraine patients. In this study, we describe and compare the immediate changes in migraine symptoms associated with COVID-19 quarantine in patients from Argentina, Mexico, and Peru. An online survey was conducted from May to July 2020. The survey was answered by 243 migraine patients, with questions related to sociodemographic data, quarantine conditions, changes in working conditions, physical activity, coffee intake, healthcare access, acute migraine medication use, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and fear of COVID-19. The results show that 48.6% of migraine patients experienced worsened symptoms, 15.6% improved, and 35.8% remained unchanged. Worsening migraine symptoms were associated with staying at home during the lockdown. Intake of analgesics was associated with an increase in migraine symptoms of 18 times relative to those who did not increase their intake. Migraine symptoms improved when the number of sleep hours was increased, and we observed an improvement when patients decreased analgesic intake. The uncertainty about the end of the pandemic, the news, and social media are three items that contributed to the worsening of migraine symptoms in patients in the three investigated countries. Confinement during the first pandemic wave in Latin America harmed migraine patients who stayed home during the lockdown. © 2023 by the authors.
Volume
20
Issue
3598
Number
4
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Neurología clínica
Salud pública, Salud ambiental
Publication version
Version of Record
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85148964173
Source
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
ISSN of the container
16617827
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo (subsistema)