Approximately 15 percent kids possibly suffer from migraines and one-third of these are accompanied by aura, which is a collection of symptoms such as weakness, blind spots, and hallucinations. A latest study now asserts that children with migraine headaches have higher chances of developing a heart defect named patent foramen ovale. This heart defect apparently affects 25 percent of the U.S. population.
While conducting the study, authors thoroughly scrutinized children 6-18 years old diagnosed with migraines between 2008 and 2009. Two-dimensional echocardiograms of each child’s heart were examined to look for the presence of patent foramen ovale (PFO). In this defect, the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart may be hampered. A PFO probably allows unfiltered blood to bypass the lungs and circulate throughout the body.
On completion of the study, it was pointed out that 50 percent subjects with migraines and aura reportedly had a PFO. And 25 percent kids who had migraines without aura allegedly suffered from the heart defect. Dr. Rachel McCandless and colleagues from the Primary Children’s Medical Center and the University of Utah will be making further attempts to tackle this difficult problem.
The study will be published in The Journal of Pediatrics.