Health

Migraine, tension-headaches and gut dysfunction linked!

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), is a common gut disorder which affects large intestine. A patient suffering from the disorder witnesses recurrent abdominal pain, cramping, gas, diarrhoea and constipation. IBS affects millions of people worldwide. Physicians often find it difficult to detect the exact cause of this chronic condition.

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If you are suffering from migraine or tension-related headaches you might also be having a common gut disorder because the diseases may be sharing genetic links,  suggests a preliminary study.

Although more studies are needed  to explore this possible link, discovering shared genes may help scientists find a better cure.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gut disorder which affects large intestine. A patient suffering from the disorder witnesses recurring abdominal pain, cramping, gas, diarrhoea and constipation.

IBS affects millions of people worldwide. Physicians often find it difficult to detect the exact cause of this chronic condition.

The researchers looked at 107 people with episodic migraine, 53 with tension-type headaches, 107 people with IBS and 53 healthy people.

They examined migraine and tension-headache participants for IBS symptoms and those with IBS were asked about headaches.

People with migraine were twice as likely to also have IBS as people with tension-headaches, stated an American Academy of Neurology press release.

A total of 54 percent of those with migraine also had IBS, compared to 28 percent of those with tension-headaches. Of the participants with IBS, 38 also had migraine and 24 also had tension-headaches, it said.

“Since headaches and irritable bowel syndrome are such common conditions, and causes for both are unknown, discovering a possible link that could shed light on shared genetics of the conditions is encouraging,” said the study author Derya Uluduz, MD, of Istanbul University in Turkey.

The preliminary study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 68th Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, April 15 to April 21.

Big Wire

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