Kenya had the second highest cases of headaches globally in early 2020, if internet searches are anything to go by.
An analysis of web searches over the six months from February 2020 to July 2020 indicates that across the world, the term 'headache was most searched in the Philippines, Kenya, and South Africa, in that order.
While headaches are a potential symptom of Covid-19, experts cite other contributing factors such as stress, anxiety and spending excessive amounts of time on computers and phones.
Some headaches are linked to high blood pressure, stroke, brain abnormalities.
The analysis of Google Trend data reveals that searches for 'headache' rose sharply in April 2020, around which time Kenya went into lockdown.
The searches declined in May, but still remained above the pre-pandemic level.
“We notice that before the pandemic outbreak, the highest query shares are encountered in the Philippines, followed by South Africa and the US,” researchers who analysed the data said.
Google Trends is an online platform that displays the popularity of a search term in a given region over a given period.
“On the other hand, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the highest query shares are reported in the Philippines, Kenya, and South Africa,” the researchers said.
Results were published on Friday in Nature journal, under an article titled, 'Infodemiological Study on the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Increased Headache Incidences at the World Level'.
The researchers, from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, conclude that observing internet search habits can provide timely information for policymakers on collective health trends.
The study concludes that while the increasing trend in headache incidence would have continued in the absence of the pandemic, Covid-19 contributed to its acceleration.
Kenya’s Ministry of Health reports headache as a symptom of mild Covid-19, which could partly explain the increased activity on this query.
“The most common symptoms of Covid-19 include cough, loss of smell and/or taste, fever, difficulty in breathing, and headache,” the ministry says in its guidelines on Covid-19 case management.
However, some psychologists also blame headaches on stress and uncertainty from the lockdown, for headaches.
Dr Margarita Mwai, a family health physician at Aga Khan University Hospital, says headaches could also be a symptom of an underlying physical problem.
“If you experience a headache during or after exercise that lasts at least a day and sometimes lingers for several days or longer, consult your doctor,” she said.
Dr Mwai noted headaches are classified into either primary or secondary headaches.
Primary headaches are caused by things such as fasting, alcohol, caffeine and caffeine withdrawal, stress, too little or too much sleep, menstruation, fatigue, change in weather, head trauma, exposure to bright lights, loud noises, smoke, and strong scents and foods among others.
With secondary headaches, one may experience longer-lasting headaches, dizziness, unsteadiness, and fainting.
“Headaches are often underdiagnosed and or undertreated. Some patients can benefit from early recognition and elimination of factors that trigger their headaches,” Dr Mwai said.
“Patients and their healthcare providers may need to experiment to find optimal medications and dosages for managing headaches associated pain.”
(Edited by V. Graham)
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