The Association between environmental noise exposure and primary headache in pediatric population

Abstract

Abstract Background Headaches are the most common neurological symptom in pediatric patients. Most primary headaches in children and adolescents are associated with noise. Auditory discomfort is also associated with pain recognition. We aimed to analyze the headache profile of pediatric populations and the connection between noise exposure and headaches in children and adolescents. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of pediatric headache populations at Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital from January 2022 to April 2023. Environmental noise data from the National Noise Information System (NNIS) were used to analyze each variable, and chi-square tests and linear regression models were used to analyze statistical correlations. Results Of the 224 participants, 125 were clinically diagnosed with primary headaches. Both daytime and nighttime noise levels were significantly higher in the diagnosed headache group than in the non-diagnosed group. For daytime and nighttime noise, statistical significance was found for the severity, duration, and frequency of headaches. Headache duration increased with daytime and nighttime noise with statistical significance in the age-adjusted models. Conclusions Noise exposure was associated with headaches in children and adolescents. Our data showed that daytime and nighttime environmental noise exposure was significantly associated with headaches duration. Therefore, we assumed that noise exposure is a vital precipitant of headaches in the pediatric population. However, further research is required to validate our findings.