DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sasjs.2025.v11i04.010

Pages: 455-460

Introduction: Headache, or cephalagia, is a prevalent neurological disorder affecting individuals worldwide. It significantly impacts quality of life, work productivity, and overall well-being. Despite its high incidence, headache disorders remain underreported and often inadequately managed in clinical settings, particularly in developing countries like Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: This observational descriptive, hospital-based research was conducted in the Department of Neurology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), from July to December 2013. Of 100 consecutive patients with complaints of headaches and enrolled using a purposeful, non-probability sampling strategy, none were patients with severe mental illness, ongoing stroke, fever, sinusitis, or critical comorbidities. Structured questionnaire interviewing evaluated data, processed using SPSS software. P<0.05 was used as the measure of statistical significance. Results: 50% of the 100 patients were between 21 and 30 years old. 75% of the study population consisted of female patients. Housewives represented the most affected working population (57%), followed by students (13%) and businessmen (12%). 46% of them had headaches for 1–5 years, and 64% of them had attacks for 1–6 hours. 63% of the patients had recurrent headaches, and the most common (61%) were compressive-type headaches. The most common co-morbid symptoms were nausea (60%), vertigo (34%), and photophobia (33%). Conclusion: Headaches, particularly among females and young adults, are a major public health concern in Bangladesh. The study highlights the importance of increased awareness, diagnosis, and management strategies that cater to the specific needs of the Bangladeshi population. Future research should explore the etiologies and develop targeted interventions to decrease the burden of headache disorders.