A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that girls are more likely than boys to have headaches after suffering a traumatic brain injury, such as a concussion. Approximately 1.7 million people suffer a traumatic brain injury each year according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Roughly 75 percent of these injuries are concussions, which are considered one of the milder traumatic injuries.
The study looked at the prevalence of headaches in children aged 5 to 17. Three months after a mild injury 43 percent of children reported headache, while 37 percent of children with moderate to severe injuries said they had headaches. Of those children with mild brain injuries who reported headaches, 59 percent were girls.
Michael Collins PhD., is director of the concussion program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Sports Medicine clinic. “Concussion and migraines are evil cousins,” according to Collins. People who are susceptible to migraines can suffer concussions from head traumas too mild to impact whose who are not prone to migraines, and the concussions they suffer are usually more severe. “The evil genie comes out of the bottle, ” Collins said. Additionally, girls are four to six times more likely to suffer from migraines, which could account for why girls are likelier to have headaches after a mild brain injury, though other factors could be involved……..Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Jacky Kelly
