Endometriosis and risk of migraine

Endometriosis - where the lining of the uterus grows in areas outside the uterus causing pain and infertility - increases the risk of migraine. Previous studies have linked endometriosis with a variety of disabling conditions such as autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Researchers from the University of Genoa, Italy, assessed the presence and characteristics of headache disorders among 133 women with endometriosis and a comparison group of 166 women without endometriosis. Subjects in both the groups were interviewed by an experienced neurologist and their headaches classified according to a standard international system. It was found that over 38 percent of participants with endometriosis had migraines, more than double the 15 percent rate seen in the comparison group. In particular, migraine with aura affected 18 women with endometriosis compared with just two control subjects. The researchers also found that the age when migraines began occurred about 5 years earlier in endometriosis patients than in controls. It is recommended that all gynaecologists should ask their patients with known or suspected endometriosis, if they suffer from headaches and if they do, then consultation with a neurologist should be advised.