Children who are exposed to traumatic events in their childhood, like exposure to parental domestic violence, are more likely to suffer migraines as adults.
Researchers at the University of Toronto recently focused on exposure to all types of adversities including witnessing of parental domestic violence, or experiencing physical or sexual abuse, and found that the odds of migraine as adults were much higher when children were exposed to these adversities. Among males, the rate was more than three times higher, and in the case of females, the increased chances of migraine were was just a little less than three times higher.
The findings of the study were published recently in the journal Headache, and were based on a survey of more than 20,000 men and women above the age of 18. The researchers say that the most interesting finding in the study was the fact that parental domestic violence was linked so strongly to a higher risk of migraine. When girls were exposed to domestic violence, they had a 54% higher risk of developing migraines, while boys had a 52 % higher risk of developing migraines as adults compared to children, who did not witness violence.
The researchers found that the findings remained constant even when they took into account a number of other factors that could have led to the increased migraine risks, including age, race, history of abuse, and other factors.
If you are currently in a situation in which domestic violence threatens the safety of yourself and your family members, speak to a San Jose family lawyer about getting a domestic violence restraining order to protect yourself and your family.