Headache

In medicine a headache or cephalalgia is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head. Some of the causes are benign while others are medical emergencies.

What is a Headache?

Headache is a common health complaint that affects millions of people in the UK. In the majority of cases, headache is not serious and can be easily treated with medication or lifestyle changes such as reducing stress or ensuring a good level of hydration.

Types of Headaches

Headache Causes and Triggers

Using a Headache Diary

What is Sinus Headache?

What is Tension Headache?

What is Vascular Headache?

What is a Cluster Headache?

What is Muscle Contraction Headache?

What is Medication Overuse Headache?

Headache Behind the Eyes: Understanding the Causes

Can Contact Lenses Cause Headaches?

See more featured articles »

Headaches in Children

Headache Related to Eye Problems

Headaches in Children and Teenagers

Headache Evaluation in Children and Teenagers

Body Posture and Migraines

Migraine with Aura vs. Migraine without Aura

Biofeedback Therapy for Headaches

Frequent Headaches after a Traumatic Brain Injury

Does the Location of a Headache Matter?

Cluster Headaches: Treatment and Prevention

Latest Headache News and Research

Healthy lifestyle habits may shield aging cells from brain disorders

Stroke and dementia as well as late-life depression are more common in people who have a biomarker of aging called short leukocyte telomere length, according to a study published on June 11, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

11 Jun 2025

Psilocybin rewires the brain for weeks, study finds

Psilocybin induces consistent and sustained changes in brain network connectivity, particularly between the hippocampus and default mode network, as shown using high-resolution fMRI in healthy adults. These neural effects, distinct from those produced by methylphenidate, may underlie the drug’s psychological benefits and were reproducible within individuals over time.

10 Jun 2025

Hidden challenges of long COVID for the workplace

Long COVID is linked to increased absenteeism, costing the US economy billions. The study reveals critical insights into its impact on the labor market.

10 Jun 2025

Personalized exercise and coaching could improve health of people with neuromuscular diseases

While many people with neuromuscular diseases currently face a future without a cure, a new study finds that a personalized exercise and coaching program could improve their fitness and overall health.

4 Jun 2025

Longer time in bed after stroke linked to poorer brain health

After a mild stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), people who spend more time in bed sleeping or trying to sleep may be more likely to have lower scores on tests of thinking and memory skills and changes in their brains that can lead to dementia or second strokes, according to a study published on May 28, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

28 May 2025

PAHO highlights surge in yellow fever cases across the Americas in 2025

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued a new Rapid Risk Assessment (RRA) on yellow fever in the Americas which shows that the risk to public health remains high due to continued human cases in endemic countries of the Region.

27 May 2025

Leaving out numbers in medical communication may mislead patients

When a physician says a procedure is "rarely risky," what does that really mean? Although terms like "common" and "unlikely" may sound descriptive enough, experts in medical decision-making suggest that leaving out numbers may be misleading for patients.

22 May 2025

Study assures safety of triptan use during pregnancy for migraine sufferers

There's good news for people with migraine who take common drugs before or during pregnancy-a new study found no increase in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD in their children.

22 May 2025

Long-term antidepressant use linked to higher risk of withdrawal symptoms

People who have been taking antidepressants for more than two years are substantially more likely to experience withdrawal symptoms compared to short-term users when they come off the medication, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

21 May 2025

New framework modernizes traumatic brain injury diagnosis after 50 years

Trauma centers nationwide will begin to test a new approach for assessing traumatic brain injury (TBI) that is expected to lead to more accurate diagnoses and more appropriate treatment and follow-up for patients.

21 May 2025

UArizona researchers uncover new way to ease postoperative pain in women

University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers identified a potential way to reduce female post-operative pain by inhibiting pituitary prolactin generated by pre-operative stress.

20 May 2025

Ubrogepant relieves early migraine symptoms and may help prevent full-blown attacks

A phase 3 trial found that ubrogepant, given during the premonitory phase of migraine, improved common warning symptoms such as fatigue, light and sound sensitivity, and neck pain. These benefits were observed as early as one hour post-treatment, suggesting early intervention can reduce migraine burden.

15 May 2025

AAN releases Evidence in Focus Article on new gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

To help neurologists, clinicians and families understand the current evidence for a new gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy called delandistrogene moxeparvovec, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has issued an Evidence in Focus article, published May 14, 2025, online in Neurology.

14 May 2025

Mini-stroke patients may experience fatigue for up to a year

A transient ischemic attack, also known as a mini-stroke, is typically defined as a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain that causes symptoms that go away within a day, but a new study finds that people who have this type of stroke may also have prolonged fatigue lasting up to one year.

14 May 2025

High intake of ultra processed foods linked to early signs of Parkinson's

People who eat more ultra processed foods like cold breakfast cereal, cookies and hot dogs are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson's disease when compared to those who eat very few ultra processed foods, according to a study published in the May 7, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 May 2025

Study links sleep apnea to damage in brain areas critical for memory

Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes lower oxygen levels during sleep, is linked to degeneration of brain regions associated with memory through damage to the brain's small blood vessels, according to a study published May 7, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 May 2025

COVID-19 leaves longer-lasting symptoms than flu or pneumonia, study finds

A large U.S. cohort study found that post-acute symptoms after COVID-19 vary by initial disease severity, age, sex, and comorbidities. Compared to influenza and pneumonia, long COVID presented with distinct symptom patterns and longer-lasting effects.

1 May 2025

Higher biological age linked to increased dementia risk

People whose biological age is higher than their chronological age may be more likely to develop dementia than people whose biological age matches or is lower than their chronological age, according to a study published on April 30, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

30 Apr 2025

Malaria infection linked to childhood cancer risk

New data published in The Journal of Immunology uncovered the role of Plasmodium falciparum infection (malaria) in the development of Burkitt lymphoma (BL), the most common childhood cancer in equatorial Africa and New Guinea.

25 Apr 2025

Metabolic syndrome in midlife linked to higher dementia risk

Having a larger waistline, high blood pressure and other risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of young-onset dementia, according to a study published on April 23, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

23 Apr 2025