Headache in long COVID as disabling condition: A clinical approach
Arthur Nascimento Rodrigues, Ápio Ricardo Nazareth Dias, Alna Carolina Mendes Paranhos, Camilla Costa Silva, Thalita da Rocha Bastos, Bárbara Barros de Brito, Nívia Monteiro da Silva, Emanuel de Jesus Soares de Sousa, Juarez Antônio Simões Quaresma, Luiz Fábio Magno Falcão
Abstract
Background and purpose Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can exacerbate previous headache disorders or change the type of pain experienced from headaches. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of Long COVID headaches. Method This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical observational study that included 102 patients (with previous headache, n = 50; without previous headache, n = 52) with long COVID and headache complaints. The Migraine Disability Assessment Test and Visual Analog Pain Scale were used to collect participants' headache data according to a standardized protocol. Results The patients in this study who reported experiencing headaches before COVID-19 had longer headache duration in the long COVID phase than that in the pre-long COVID phase ( p = 0.031), exhibited partial improvement in headache symptoms with analgesics ( p = 0.045), and had a duration of long COVID of <1 year ( p = 0.030). Patients with moderate or severe disability and those classified as having severe headaches in the long COVID phase were highly likely to develop chronic headaches. Hospital admission [odds ratio (OR) = 3.0082; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.10–8.26], back pain (OR = 4.0017; 95% CI: 1.13–14.17), insomnia (OR = 3.1339; 95% CI: 1.39–7.06), and paraesthesia (OR = 2.7600; 95% CI: 1.20–6.33) were associated with headache in these patients. Conclusion Headache is a disabling condition in patients with long COVID-19, exacerbating the conditions of those with headaches prior to contracting COVID-19.