Study shows onset of headaches in children during online classes

New Delhi: A new study shows that one-third of school children who took lessons online during the COVID-19 pandemic reported worsening headache symptoms or the beginning of new headaches.

A study presented in 2022 at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress found that continued exposure to computer screens, lack of suitable conditions for online study at home, school exams, and anxiety about Covid-19 were all risk factors that exacerbated the symptoms of a headache or triggered new headache in children.

"Although earlier studies reported that young people were having lesser headaches due to the closure of schools in the early weeks and months of COVID-19, this longer-term study has found that stresses and pressures of the pandemic eventually took their toll," said lead researcher Ayse Nur Ozdag Acarli from Ermenek State Hospital in Karaman, Turkey.

For the study, the team analyzed 851 adolescents aged between 10 and 18, with 756 (89 per cent) of children reporting headaches over the study period. Among these children, 10 per cent reported new-onset headaches over the pandemic home-schooling period. Over a quarter (27 per cent) of children said their headaches had worsened, 61 per cent said their headaches had remained stable and 3 per cent said their headaches had improved.

Those who reported worsened or new-onset headaches suffered from headaches an average of 8-9 times per month.

Over half of children within this group (43 per cent) used painkillers at least once a month compared to a third (33 per cent) in the stable group.

The study found that headaches had a big impact on mental health and school achievements. Depression and anxiety scores, including anxiety about catching Covid-19, were significantly higher in the worsened and new-onset headache groups.

With inputs from IANS