Migraine

A migraine is a severe headache causing pain in the front or side of the head. In the UK, migraines affect about 15% of the population and the headaches are three times more common among women than men. Migraines usually first start in young adulthood but it is possible for the headaches to start later in life.

What are Migraines?

Migraine is a severe form of headache felt as a throbbing pain at the front or side of the head. Migraines may also be accompanied by other symptoms such as a sensitivity to light or nausea.

Migraine Diagnosis

Migraine Pathophysiology

Migraine History

Economic Impact of Migraines

Can Reflexology Help Ease Migraines?

Migraine and the Heart

Migraine Symptoms

Can Meditation Help Migraines?

Migraine Treatments

Migraine research

Can Contact Lenses Cause Headaches?

See more featured articles »

Migraine is Just like Asthma. No, Really.

Differences Between an Aneurysm and Migraine

Can Weather or Air Pollution Trigger Migraine?

Does Exercise Help or Worsen Migraines?

Do Migraines Increase Risk of Stroke?

Body Posture and Migraines

Migraine with Aura vs. Migraine without Aura

Migraines and Dementia

What are Disease Modifying Migraine Drugs (DMMDs)?

Common Migraine Triggers

Is There a Link Between Migraine and the Gut Microbiome?

What Foods Can Cause Migraines?

Latest Migraine News and Research

Prolonged depression in young adults linked to cognitive decline in middle age

People who experience prolonged depressive symptoms starting in young adulthood may have worse thinking and memory skills in middle age, according to a study published in the June 12, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

12 Jun 2024

Study identifies functional sex differences in specialized pain-producing nerve cells

Research suggests that males and females differ in their experience of pain, but up until now, no one knew why.

10 Jun 2024

Common drugs linked to reduced risk of bleeding stroke from brain aneurysm

A new study suggests that people who take a few common drugs may have a decreased risk of having a bleeding stroke due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.

5 Jun 2024

Self-reported memory problems and partner confirmation may signal tau buildup in the brain

People who report early memory problems and whose partners also suspect they have memory problems have higher levels of tau tangles in the brain, a biomarker associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the May 29, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 May 2024

Study examines the effects of pregnant mother's epilepsy medications on child's creativity

While older drugs for epilepsy, taken while pregnant, have been shown in previous research to affect the creative thinking of children, a new study finds no effects on creativity for children born to those taking newer epilepsy drugs.

29 May 2024

Phytochemicals show promise in treating neurological disorders by influencing the gut-brain axis

Researchers reviewed the potential therapeutic effects of phytochemicals on the gut-brain axis, finding they could influence brain function and reduce neurological symptoms by modulating gut microbiota.

26 May 2024

Study offers insights into factors influencing older adults to stop driving

What factors lead older adults to stop driving? A new study followed older adults who had no memory or thinking problems to examine this question.

23 May 2024

Higher intake of ultra-processed foods linked to increased risk of stroke and cognitive decline

People who eat more ultra-processed foods like soft drinks, chips and cookies may have a higher risk of having memory and thinking problems and having a stroke than those who eat fewer processed foods, according to a new study published in the May 22, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 May 2024

Climate change may negatively affect the health of people with brain conditions

Climate change, and its effects on weather patterns and adverse weather events, is likely to negatively affect the health of people with brain conditions, argue a UCL-led team of researchers.

16 May 2024

New guideline issued for antiseizure medication use in pregnant epilepsy patients

A new guideline has been issued to help neurologists and other clinicians determine the best antiseizure medications for people with epilepsy who may become pregnant.

16 May 2024

Underdiagnosed and common: Study highlights neuropathy's hidden toll

Neuropathy, the nerve damage that causes pain and numbness in the feet and hands and can eventually lead to falls, infection and even amputation, is very common and underdiagnosed, according to a study published in the May 8, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

8 May 2024

Study reveals delayed recognition of nonmotor seizures in children and teens

Children and teens may experience nonmotor seizures for months or years before being seen in an emergency department for a more obvious seizure that includes convulsions, according to a study published in the May 1, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 May 2024

Study links acid-reducing drugs to increased risk of migraine

People who take acid-reducing drugs may have a higher risk of migraine and other severe headache than people who do not take these medications, according to a study published in the April 24, 2024, online issue of Neurology Clinical Practice, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24 Apr 2024

PCORI funds more than $150 million to support new patient-centered clinical effectiveness research

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) today announced the approval of funding awards totaling more than $150 million to support new patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) studies, research to strengthen the rigor and quality of patient-centered CER and a project to implement the findings of PCORI-funded research into practice.

23 Apr 2024

Occupational cognitive demands may help stave off memory and thinking problems later in life

The harder your brain works at your job, the less likely you may be to have memory and thinking problems later in life, according to a new study published in the April 17, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

18 Apr 2024

Study reveals high prevalence of menstrual migraines in U.S. women

A third of the nearly 20 million women who participated in a national health survey report migraines during menstruation, and of them, 11.8 million, or 52.5%, were premenopausal.

13 Apr 2024

UC San Diego researchers discover genetic connections to alcohol consumption

A research group centered at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has drilled deep into a dataset of over 3 million individuals compiled by the direct-to-consumer genetics company 23andMe, Inc., and found intriguing connections between genetic factors influencing alcohol consumption and their relationship with other disorders.

5 Apr 2024

Earlier menopause combined with high cardiovascular risk linked to cognitive problems later

Earlier menopause combined with higher risk of cardiovascular disease is linked to an increased risk of thinking and memory problems later, according to a new study published in the April 3, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

3 Apr 2024

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

In this interview, News Medical speaks to Isaac Chiu, Ph.D and Daping Yang, Ph.D. of Harvard Medical School, about their latest research, revealing the surprising properties of pain.

2 Apr 2024

WHO calls for urgent action on rising neurological conditions worldwide

A major new study released by The Lancet Neurology shows that, in 2021, more than 3 billion people worldwide were living with a neurological condition.

30 Mar 2024