Effect of Helicobacter Pylori Treatment on the Number and Severity of Migraine Attacks

Abstract

Background: Migraine is a common headache with an unknown cause. Migraine is about three times more common in women (18.2%) than in men (6.2%). The recent studies have posed the possible relationship between the Helicobacter pylori infection and migraine headache. This study tries to analyze the effect of treating H. pylori infection on number and severity of migraine attacks.Materials and Methods: In this clinical pilot study, a number of 60 patients with migraine were examined in terms of infecting with H. pylori. Patients with the infections were treated by H. pylori eradication standard triple regimen and the frequency and severity of their migraine attacks were measured for three months and finally the average of frequency and severity of attacks before and after treatment were compared.Results: The average frequency of the migraine attacks in patients with the H.pylori infection who have been treated was 7.1 before treatment and 2.7 after treatment (p=0.001). Likewise, the severity rate of such attacks in such patients was 9 which decreased to 4.5 after treatment (p=0.002).Conclusion: According to our study, patients with migraine attacks are preferred to be tested in terms of infecting with H. pylori, and eradication of this infection can be effective in decreasing of the migraine attacks.