Epidemiology of headache and migraine in women.
During a survey of a defined community, 2,933 women aged 20 to 64 years were asked standard questions about headaches. Overall, 78·7% had headaches during the year immediately preceding the survey and this proportion decreased significantly with age. Random samples of subgroups with unilateral headaches, headaches preceded by a warning, and headaches accompanied by nausea were examined clinically. From these clinical diagnoses the prevalence of women with migraine during the previous year was estimated as 19%. Nearly half of those diagnosed as having migraine had never consulted a doctor because of headaches. Women with migraine and non-migrainous headaches kept diaries of all headaches and data are presented for the time and day of onset, severity, duration and relation of menstruation for both types of headache.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008598:Menstruation; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009325:Nausea / Q000150:complications; D012963:Sociometric Techniques; D014852:Wales