Migraines May Double Risk for Facial Paralysis

According to a new study published in the journal Neurology, migraine headaches may double the risk of a nervous system condition that causes facial paralysis, called Bell’s palsy. Affecting between 11 and 40 per 100,000 people each year, people with Bell’s palsy usually recover completely. However, headaches are the most common disorder of the nervous system, affecting about 12 percent of the U.S. population. During the study, two groups of 136,704 people ages 18 and older (one group with migraine and one without), were followed for an average of three years. During that time, 671 people in the migraine group and 365 of the non-migraine group were newly diagnosed with Bell’s palsy. People with migraine were twice as likely to develop Bell’s palsy even after researchers accounted for other factors that could increase the risk of the condition, such as gender, high blood pressure or diabetes. “Infection, inflammation or heart and vascular problems could be shared causes for these diseases,” noted the lead author of the study. “If a common link is identified and confirmed, more research may lead to better treatments for both conditions.” To read more about this study, click here.