Covid-19 and headache characteristics

Abstract

Background & Objective: Studies have shown that the most common neurologic symptom in patients with COVID-19 is headache, which may even be the first and only symptom. This study aimed to determine headache characteristics such as frequency, duration and localization, as well as the relationship of systemic inflammation with headaches in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: A total of 202 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, consisting of 101 patients with headaches and 101 patients with no headache, were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, symptoms, clinical findings, and laboratory results were evaluated. In the group with headaches, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, duration, severity, and localization of pain were recorded.

Results: One hundred nineteen (58.9%) of the patients had no headache in their previous medical history, whereas 21.3% (43/202) had a migraine history. Most of the patients with headache experienced short-term attacks of moderate-severity headaches (47.1%) that were pressing in nature (59%), and generalized (32.4%). We divided our patients into two groups according to pain severity: one of patients with mild-to-moderate headache and one of those with severe headache.. Pain characteristics were compared between the groups, and it was observed that the pain duration was longer in the group with severe pain (p<0.001). When the groups with and without headaches were compared, no significant differences were found between the groups regarding inflammatory markers such as lymphocyte count, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, ferritin, and D-dimer levels.

Conclusion: The headache in our patients with COVID-19 was mostly new-onset, of moderate severity, compressive in nature, and generalized. Inflammatory markers were unrelated to the presence and severity of the headaches.