Is Migraine Associated With IBS?

Every year, more than 1 billion people worldwide suffer from at least one migraine attack. Previous research suggests that migraineurs may be more prone to a variety of ailments, including gastrointestinal problems.

Furthermore, a recent study from South Korea's Seoul National University College of Medicine raises the possibility that migraines raise the chance of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Every year, more than 1 billion people worldwide suffer from at least one migraine attack.

Previous studies have suggested that having migraines may increase a person's risk of developing heart disease, stroke, epilepsy, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, and depression, among other conditions.

Furthermore, there is proof linking some gastrointestinal conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), to migraine.

A study from Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea suggests that migraines may also increase the risk of irritable bowel disease (IBD), a term that includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Not involved in this study, Dr. Brooks D. Cash, professor, and chief of the Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition division at UTHealth Houston in Texas, asserts that migraine has long been known to be associated with a range of chronic gastrointestinal syndromes and diseases in the field of gastroenterology.

Dr. Cash told Medical News Today that "the data in this report supports previous reports of an association between migraine headaches and IBD."

According to Dr. Rudolph Bedford, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John's Health Centre in Santa Monica, California, who was not involved in this examination, the study's findings were unsurprising.

It wasn't surprising because [inflammatory bowel disease] does show some extra-intestinal manifestations, such as things involving the eye or ocular findings, which may be neurogenic," said Dr. Bedford.

This is not the first research looking into a possible connection between migraine and IBD.

Adults with IBD experienced migraine or severe headaches more frequently than adults without the illness, per an American survey conducted in March 2021.

Research published in March 2023 indicates that people who get migraines, aura or not, are at an increased risk of developing IBD.

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Could migraines increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease? 

For the current study, researchers looked at data from over 10 million South Korean people who were enrolled in the nation's healthcare system. Approximately 3% of research participants had IBD.

Researchers found that those with migraines had a much greater incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than those without migraines.

Scientists also looked at the data utilising subgroups of occurrences of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Individuals with migraine in both subgroups were more likely to experience either illness than those without migraine.

After a 5-year follow-up, the researchers found that those with migraine diagnosis had a statistically significant higher chance of developing Crohn's disease.

Moreover, males were found to be more likely than females in all groups to have a migraine affect their risk of developing ulcerative colitis.

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The results of the study are not definitive

Based on these findings, the research team suggests that those who suffer from migraines should be constantly monitored for the onset of IBD.

Nevertheless, Dr. Cash made it clear that the facts offered do not support any plan or recommendations.

As the greater likelihood of a specific exposure (such as migraine headaches) with an outcome (such as developing IBD), the study's reported odds ratios were consistently between one and two, the researcher noted. This is not conclusive and is easily misunderstood or misrepresented.

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The importance of identifying potential triggers for IBD

Dr. Bedford says it's important to identify any possible health issues that can cause IBD since, with this information, a doctor might be able to reduce the disease's symptoms.

"You might want to identify those who have migraines because they can be very debilitating," he stated. "As we don't typically inquire about migraine headaches from patients with inflammatory bowel disease, it probably qualifies as something that should be done more frequently."

According to Cash, MD, "these findings add to a fairly robust body of research suggesting that patients with chronic GI syndromes or diseases have a statistically higher prevalence of chronic pain syndromes."

"At this point, there is insufficient information or proof to establish a cause and effect relationship. But he went on, this knowledge can assist explain various therapeutic approaches that might benefit patients' GI and neurological issues in addition to their migraines.

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Reference: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/migraine-increased-risk-of-ibd-inflammatory-bowel-disease-study