Female healthcare workers are more likely to get headaches from wearing personal protective equipment compared to male healthcare workers, a study published Nov. 13 in Brain and Behavior found.
Researchers performed a cross-sectional study on 243 front-line workers at four hospitals in Tehran, Iran, between April and July 2020. Study authors noted 75 percent of participants were women.
Participants filled out a questionnaire answering demographic information, history of headaches and information regarding type of PPE worn during work. Blood oxygen saturation and heart rate were recorded via pulse oximeter before and 4 hours post PPE use, or if they reported shortness of breath or headache.
Key findings:
- Prevalence of headaches following PPE usage was 72.4 percent.
- Among participants reporting headaches, 25.1 percent developed external pressure; 22.2 percent developed migraines; and 15.2 percent developed tension-type headaches.
- The N95 mask was the most commonly reported cause of headache (41 percent) while the prevalence of headache after using shields and goggles was 27.2 percent and 27.3 percent, respectively.