Is There any Effect of Online Platform Overuse on Headaches During the Pandemic?

INTRODUCTION: Social constraints experienced during the pandemic have increased the use of online systems in both education and business life. Our aim is to evaluate the effect of overuse of online platforms on headache.
METHODS: This study was conducted with 1627 participants with online data collection form which includes sociodemographic data and 25 questions related to the use of online platforms during the pandemic.
RESULTS: One thousand four hundred and ninety-five participants with a mean age of 20.76±2.21 years were university students or graduates. While the average daily screen time exposure was 2–4 h (743/1627), this time has increased to 8 h and above (966/1627) in the pandemic. While 68.6% of the participants reported an increase in headaches during the pandemic, 62.4% of the participants believed in parallel that this was related to the increase in the use of online systems. When comparing the pre- and post-pandemic periods, the headache duration (p<0.001), frequency (p<0.001), severity (p<0.001), and use of analgesics (p<0.001) increased significantly in both genders.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In addition to COVID-19, the unfavorable role of changes in social life should also be considered in the increase of headache. Questioning the active use of online platforms during the pandemic in people with headache complaints may guide the regulation of treatment.