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.

What is Sinus Headache?

Headache Related to Eye Problems

Frequent Headaches after a Traumatic Brain Injury

Headache Causes and Triggers

Headaches in Children and Teenagers

Types of Headaches

What is Tension Headache?

Body Posture and Migraines

Headache Behind the Eyes: Understanding the Causes

Does the Location of a Headache Matter?

What is Vascular Headache?

See more featured articles »

Can Contact Lenses Cause Headaches?

What is Medication Overuse Headache?

What is a Cluster Headache?

Migraine with Aura vs. Migraine without Aura

Using a Headache Diary

Headache Evaluation in Children and Teenagers

Cluster Headaches: Treatment and Prevention

Headaches in Children

What is Muscle Contraction Headache?

Biofeedback Therapy for Headaches

Latest Headache News and Research

Tirzepatide tops the charts for blood sugar and weight loss in type 2 diabetes

A large network meta-analysis ranked eight GLP-1 receptor agonists for glycemic, weight, and safety outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes. Tirzepatide demonstrated the greatest efficacy for glucose control and weight loss, while liraglutide offered the lowest hypoglycemia risk.

7 Jul 2025

Can saffron treat Alzheimer’s and depression?

Saffron shows promise as a natural treatment for depression and cognitive decline, performing as well as standard drugs in clinical trials. However, more rigorous studies are needed before saffron can be recommended in mainstream psychiatric and dementia care.

26 Jun 2025

Sleep deficiency worsens pain mechanisms in migraine sufferers

The mechanisms in the brain that should reduce pain don’t work as well in people with migraine when they haven’t gotten enough sleep.

26 Jun 2025

Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods linked to Alzheimer’s biomarkers

People living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods may be more likely to have biomarkers for inflammation and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published June 25, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Jun 2025

Diabetes medication shows promise in cutting migraine days by more than half

A diabetes medication that lowers brain fluid pressure has cut monthly migraine days by more than half, according to a new study presented today at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025.

20 Jun 2025

Sleep deprivation alters brain response to pain in migraine sufferers

For the first time, researchers have studied what happens in the brains of people who have migraines when they haven't slept enough.

19 Jun 2025

Brain age gap may influence the relationship between cognitive impairment risk factors

The difference between the brain's predicted age and actual chronological age, called a brain age gap, may influence the relationship between cognitive impairment risk factors, like high blood pressure and diabetes, and a person's cognitive performance, also known as thinking and memory skills, according to a study published June 18, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Jun 2025

Food insecurity, neighborhood disadvantage, and lack of social support affect stroke outcomes

Having poor access to food, living in a disadvantaged neighborhood and not having strong friend and family support may lead to worse outcomes after stroke, according to a study published June 18, 2025, in Neurology® Clinical Practice, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Jun 2025

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