[Headache caused by pesticides--a review of the literature]

Acta Med Croatica. 2008 May;62(2):233-6.
[Article in Croatian]

Abstract

Headache makes one of the most common side effects of frequently pesticide application. This is to be taken care of in rural areas. Headaches have been reported with the use of ivermectin, ivermectin-diethylcarbamazine, organophosphates, and also with the fungicide maneb and copper sulfate, carbofuran, hexonal, dioxin, methomyl and its salts, as well as rare cases of poisoning with the fungicide combination of propineb and cymoxanil. Headache often occurs after long term work with pesticides and/or in laboratories. There are numerous symptoms accompanying headache in pesticide poisoning the most common being elevated body temperature, lassitude, dizziness, irritability, nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, diarrhea, myalgia, pains in the arms and legs, sleepiness, pains in joints, irritation of eyes/face/skin, sweating. Much less common are respiratory disturbances, tachycardia, tachypnea and other cardiac distur bances, fall of blood pressure, gastrointestinal discomforts, constipation, poor appetite, significant decrease in leukocyte count, anemia, albuminuria, azotemia, fasciculations, miosis, blurred vision, memory disturbances and other neurologic disturbances, postural tremor, signs of cerebral function damage, bradykinesia, etc.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Agricultural Workers' Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Headache / chemically induced*
  • Humans
  • Pesticides / poisoning*

Substances

  • Pesticides