Ayse ARSLAN, Fatma Aykan TÜZÜN, Harun ARSLAN

Relationship Between Biomass Exposure, Chronic Headache and Brain Damage in Young Women

Biomass, an energy source, is the general name of all non-fossilized biological material obtained from living or recently living organism. Household use of solid biomass fuels is the most common cause of indoor air pollution (IAP) worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between biomass exposure and the pres ence of headache and brain damage in young women. This cross-sectional study included patient group consisted of 69 women who applied to the neurology outpatient clinic with complaints of chronic headache and fatigue and the control group consisted of 26 healthy volunteer women who were not exposed to tandir smoke. In all subjects, blood samples were obtained for biochemical analysis and brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan was performed to evaluate brain damage. In the patient group, ischemic gliotic foci were detected in 56 patient (81.2%) while in the control group, gliotic foci was detected in 3 subjects (11.5%). The prevalence of gliotic foci was almost 8 times higher in subjects with a history of biomass smoke exposure than in subjects without a history of biomass smoke exposure (81.2% vs. 11.5%). These findings suggest that indoor air pollution may have an effect on the risk of headache and brain damage. However additional studies with larger sample sizes and including other ethnic or environmental communities are needed to determine in detail the role of indoor air pollution in the occurrence of headaches and brain damage.

PDF

___

1. Saksena S, Smith KR. Indoor air pollution. In: McGranahan G and Murray F, editors. Air pollution and health in rapidly developing countries. London: Earthscan Publications, Ltd 2003; 129-145.

2. World Health Organization. WHO air quality guidelines global update 2005. Particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. WHO Regional Office for Europe: Copenhagen 2005; 274-275, 324, 375-376, 413-415.

3. Manuel J. The quest for fire: hazards of a daily struggle. Environ Health Perspect 2003; 111: 28-33.

4. Naeher LP, Brauer M, Lipsett M, et al. Woodsmoke health effects: a review. Inhal Toxicol 2007; 19: 67-106.

5. Romieu I, Riojas-Rodríguez H, Marrón-Mares AT, et al. Improved biomass stove intervention in rural Mexico: impact on the respiratory health of women. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2009; 180: 649-656.

6. Sandoval J, Salas J, Martinez-Guerra ML, et al: Pulmonary arterial hypertension and corpulmonale associated with chronic domestic woodsmoke inhalation. Chest 1993; 103: 12-20.

7. Ellegard A. Tears while cooking: An indicator of indoor air pollution and related health effects in developing countries. Environ Res 1997; 75: 12-22.

8. British Association for the Study of Headache. Guidelines for all healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of migraine, tension-type, cluster and medication-overuse headache. http:// 216.25.100.131/upload/NS_BASH/BASH_gu idelines_2007.pdf

9. Prince PB, Rapoport AM, Sheftell FD, et al. The effect of weather on headache. Headache 2004; 44: 596-602.

10. Szyszkowicz M, Kousha T. Air Pollution and Emergency Department Visits for Headache and Migraine. Health Scope 2016; 5: 35122.

11. Szyszkowicz M. Ambient air pollution and daily emergency department visits for headache in Ottawa, Canada. Headache 2008; 48: 1076-1081.

12. WHO. Indoor smoke from solid fuels. Assessing the environmental burden of disease at national and local levels. Geneva: World Health Organization Protection of the Human Environment, 2004.

13. Bruce N, Perez-Padilla R, Albalak R. The health effects of indoor air pollution exposure in developing countries. Geneva: WHO, 2002.

14. Meggs WJ. Neurogenic switching: a hypothesis for mechanism for shifting the site of inflammation in allergy and chemical sensitivity. Environ Health Perspect1995; 103: 54-56.

15. Schmidt R, Fazekas F, Kleinert G, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging signal hyperintensities in the deep and subcortical white matter: a comperative study between stroke patients and normal volunteers. Arch Neurol 1992; 49: 825-827.

16. Fazekas F, Kleinert R, Offenbacher H, et al. The morphologic correlate of incidental punctate white matter hyperintensities on MR images. AJNR 1991; 12: 915-921.

17. Dı´az E, Smith-Sivertsen T, Pope D et al. Eye discomfort, headache and back pain among Mayan Guatemalan women taking part in a randomised stove intervention trial. J Epidemiol Community Health 2007; 61: 74-79.

18. Vodonos A, Novack V, Zlotnik Y and Ifergane G. Ambient air pollution, weather and daily emergency department visits for headache. Cephalalgia 2015; 35: 1085-1091.

19. Candelario-Jalil E, Thompson J, Taheri S, et al. Matrix metalloproteinases are associated with increased blood-brain barrier opening in vascular cognitive impairment. Stroke 2011; 42: 1345-1350.

20. Huang Y, Zhang W, Lin L, et al. Is endothelial dysfunction of cerebral small vessel responsible for white matter lesions after chronic cerebral hypoperfusion in rats? J Neurol Sci 2010; 299: 72-80.