The Correlation between Allergic Rhinitis and Migraine

Migraine and allergic rhinitis (AR) are two common causes of headache and facial pain in which inflammatory mediators with vasoactive function play important roles. This study aimed to determine the frequency of migraine in AR patients. In a case-control study performed from June to December 2010 in patients referred to ear, nose and throat (ENT) clinic of a university hospital in Rasht, Iran, 46 AR patients with positive skin prick tests were compared with 60 subjects without AR signs and symptoms and negative skin tests. In both groups, history of migraine was assessed according to IHS (International Headache Society) criteria. Data was analyzed by chi-square and Fisher's exact tests in SPSS17. The case group included 14 male and 32 female patients with a mean age of 31.17 ± 8.31 years. In addition, 23 male and 37 female individuals with a mean age of 37.58 ± 12.63 years constituted the control group. The prevalence of migraine in the case and control groups was 37% and 5%, respectively. The differences in the prevalence of migraine and migraine without aura between cases and controls were significant (P = 0.001 for both conditions, odds ratio for migraine = 11.244,95% CI: 2.428-53.76). In contrast to individuals over 40 years old, in subjects younger than 30 and those between 30-39 years old, the difference in the prevalence of migraine (with and without aura) was not significant. The prevalence of migraine, especially without aura, in allergic patients is higher than non-allergic subjects and this correlation is more significant with increasing age.