A getaway to the southern sunshine should be a treat but according to a study done at Aalborg University last year, for one out of twelve people a flight means a severe headache. Now, the same research group is the first in the world to investigate the cause of the problem, and they have a preliminary explanation.
"The major changes in cabin pressure at take-off and landing may cause tissue damage and inflammation in the sinuses. This releases the substance PGE2, which can make the blood vessels in the brain expand and thus cause head pain," says Master's student Sebastian Bao Dinh Bui.
Torben Petersen and Sebastian Bao Dinh Bui conducted the study as part of their studies in Medicine with Industrial Specialization (MedIS) at Aalborg University along with their supervisor, Parisa Gazerani, Associate Professor. The group's results have just been published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.