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

High belly and arm fat linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's risk

People with high levels of body fat stored in their belly or arms may be more likely to develop diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's than people with low levels of fat in these areas, according to a study published in the July 24, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24 Jul 2024

Review highlights hidden gut-brain connection in neurological disorders

Research reveals the gut microbiota-brain axis as a critical link in understanding and treating neurological disorders through microbial interventions.

23 Jul 2024

Studies aim to identify adolescent girls who are at risk of developing migraine headaches

A migraine is not just a bad headache. It is a much-dreaded part of a neurologic disorder that has an array of possible symptoms, including pulsating cranial pain, waves of queasiness, bouts of vomiting, and hypersensitivity to light and sound.

22 Jul 2024

AGA releases new clinical guidance to help recognize the symptoms of cyclic vomiting syndrome

The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released new clinical guidance to help clinicians and patients recognize the signs and symptoms of cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS).

16 Jul 2024

Innovative research sheds light on migraine mechanisms and potential therapies

New research describes for the first time how a spreading wave of disruption and the flow of fluid in the brain triggers headaches, detailing the connection between the neurological symptoms associated with aura and the migraine that follows.

4 Jul 2024

New signaling pathway identified in aural migraine headaches

The rapid influx of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and protein solutes released during cortical spreading depression (CSD) in the brain activates neurons to trigger aural migraine headaches, according to a new mouse study.

4 Jul 2024

Inflammation in early adulthood may be linked to memory and thinking problems at middle age

Having higher levels of inflammation in your 20s and 30s may be linked to having memory and thinking problems at middle age, according to a study published in the July 3, 2024, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

3 Jul 2024

Moderate physical activity may be linked to reduced risk of ALS later in life

Moderate levels of physical activity and fitness may be linked to a reduced risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) later in life, according to a new study published in the June 26, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Jun 2024

Atogepant may decrease the risk of developing rebound headache in people with migraine

A drug used to prevent migraine may also be effective in people with migraine who experience rebound headaches, according to a new study published in the June 26, 2024, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Jun 2024

UTHealth Houston researchers to study circadian link in severe headaches with $2.4M grant

The link between severe headache disorders headaches and the body's circadian clock in pain timing and thresholds will be studied with a $2.4 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to UTHealth Houston researchers.

21 Jun 2024

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

Low-birth-weight deliveries linked to cognitive decline in later life

People who give birth to infants less than 5.5 pounds may be more likely to have memory and thinking problems later in life than people who give birth to infants who do not have a low birth weight, 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