http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/headaches/ Learn about migraine headache symptoms and treatment. Read the latest research on the various types of headaches such as migraine headaches, sinus headaches, and cluster headaches, among others. Find out the causes of headaches, headache remedies and new methods to get relief. en-us Sat, 26 May 2012 13:05:01 EDT Sat, 26 May 2012 13:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/headaches/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517131659.htm The latest genetic and biological research shows that migraine is a neurological, not vascular, disorder and both acute and preventive treatments being developed target peripheral and central nervous systems, according to a prominent migraine expert. Thu, 17 May 2012 13:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517131659.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509123655.htm “Practice makes perfect,” the saying goes. Optimal performance, however, can require more than talent, effort, and repetition. Training the brain to reduce stress through neurofeedback can remove barriers and enhance one’s innate abilities. Wed, 09 May 2012 12:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509123655.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430192625.htm New brain stimulation technology can prevent debilitating migraine attacks from occurring, a new study suggests. The technique, using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), applies a mild electrical current to the brain from electrodes attached to the scalp. Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430192625.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425093932.htm Researchers say that 38 percent of migraine sufferers require preventive therapy, but just three to 13 percent currently use it. An added concern is that patients are taking treatments that have never been demonstrated to work. New guidelines assert that migraine prevention requires taking medication daily, rather than only when in the throes of an attack. Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425093932.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424162321.htm Although botulinum toxin A ("Botox") injections are US Food and Drug Administration approved for preventive treatment for chronic migraines, a review and analysis of previous studies finds a small to modest benefit for patients with chronic migraine headaches and chronic daily headaches, although botox injections were not associated with greater benefit than placebo for preventing episodic migraine or chronic tension-type headaches, according to a new article. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424162321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120422231742.htm 'Brain freeze' is a nearly universal experience -- almost everyone has felt the near-instantaneous headache brought on by a bite of ice cream or slurp of ice-cold soda on the upper palate. However, scientists are still at a loss to explain this phenomenon. Since migraine sufferers are more likely to experience brain freeze than people who don't have this often-debilitating condition, brain freeze may share a common mechanism with other types of headaches, including those brought on by the trauma of blast-related combat injuries in soldiers. One possible link between brain freeze and other headache types is local changes in brain blood flow. Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120422231742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120320114516.htm A migraine is the most common type of headache that propels patients to seek care from their doctors. Roughly 30 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches, with women affected almost three times more often than men, according to statistics. Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120320114516.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220203001.htm A study of mothers and their young babies by neurologists has shown that mothers who suffer migraine headaches are more than twice as likely to have babies with colic than mothers without a history of migraines. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120220203001.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109102920.htm Researchers have found clear associations between marijuana use in young males and cyclic vomiting syndrome, where patients experience episodes of vomiting separated by symptom-free intervals. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109102920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205170057.htm In a new study, researchers analyzed the prevalence of headaches three and 12 months after mild, moderate or severe traumatic brain injury in children ages 5 to 17, and discovered the risk of headache was higher in adolescents (ages 13 to 17) and in girls. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205170057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111010075500.htm Although exercise is often prescribed as a treatment for migraine, there has not previously been sufficient scientific evidence that it really works. However, research from Sweden has now shown that exercise is just as good as drugs at preventing migraines. Mon, 10 Oct 2011 07:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111010075500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824091149.htm Cluster headache has a substantial detrimental effect on quality of life. New invasive procedures, such as hypothalamic deep brain stimulation and bilateral occipital nerve stimulation, may help patients with chronic refractory headache, according to new research. Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:11:11 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824091149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110818130202.htm Recurring headaches are common during the year following a traumatic brain injury (TBI), regardless of the severity of the TBI, and they tend to occur more often among females and those with a pre-TBI history of headache, according to a new article. Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:02:02 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110818130202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110705123623.htm A cost analysis of migraine treatments comparing pharmaceuticals to well-documented behavioral approaches such as relaxation training, hypnosis and biofeedback found behavioral treatments often come out cheaper, particularly after a year or more. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110705123623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623174130.htm Familial hemiplegic migraine is a rare and severe subtype of migraine with aura, an unusual sensory experience preceding the migraine attack. Researchers in Italy have developed a mouse model of familial hemiplegic migraine type 2 and used it to investigate the migraine's cause. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:41:41 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623174130.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110601091143.htm A recently published paper highlights that while the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is more common in those with migraine than those without migraine irrespective of sex, the risk is greater in male migraineurs than female migraineurs. Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:11:11 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110601091143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110526064629.htm Precision tinted lenses have been used widely to reduce visual perceptual distortions in poor readers, and are increasingly used for migraine sufferers, but until now the science behind these effects has been unclear. Now research uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for the first time to suggest a neurological basis for these visual remedies. Thu, 26 May 2011 06:46:46 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110526064629.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110523075010.htm Headache is a very common complaint, with over 90% of all persons experiencing a headache at some time in their lives. In an analysis by Dutch researchers of 119 clinical trials, the "no treatment" and placebo groups had a high overall recovery rate of 36%. Control groups in pharmacological trials showed a higher response rate than the behavioral (non-pharmacological) trials (38.5% vs. 15.0%). Mon, 23 May 2011 07:50:50 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110523075010.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511081224.htm Scientists in Spain have identified the location of the so-called trigger points that, when activated, cause migraine crises. The common location of these points are the anterior temporal and the suboccipital regions of the head –both at bilateral level. Wed, 11 May 2011 08:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110511081224.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414104250.htm A new case study finds Botox may offer new hope to patients suffering disabling low cerebrospinal fluid headaches. The successful treatment also offers new insight into Botox and headache treatment generally. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:42:42 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414104250.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110331075706.htm Roughly 15% of children suffer from migraines, and approximately one-third of these affected children have migraines with aura, a collection of symptoms that can include weakness, blind spots, and even hallucinations. Although the causes of migraines are unclear, a new study suggests a connection between migraine headaches in children and a heart defect called patent foramen ovale, which affects 25 percent of people in the US. Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:57:57 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110331075706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110328161846.htm Obese migraine sufferers reported post-operative improvements in headache frequency, severity, and disability. Findings suggest weight loss may be an important part of a migraine treatment plan for obese patients. Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110328161846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321093835.htm Migraine rates in a comprehensive Norwegian health study have climbed by one percent in a decade, which may not sound like much, but could mean 45,000 more migraine sufferers in Norway -- and if the trend were to hold for the European Union, that would be an additional 5 million more people plagued by migraines. Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321093835.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110202162043.htm Surgery to "deactivate" migraine headaches produces lasting good results, with nearly 90 percent of patients having at least partial relief at five years' follow-up, researchers report. In about 30 percent of patients, migraine headaches were completely eliminated after surgery, according to the new study. Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110202162043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110119120400.htm Significant and repetitive headaches are associated with a greater prevalence of small lesions in the brain, which are detectable by MRI imaging. However, they do not increase the risk of cognitive decline. This reassuring conclusion, reached by researchers in France, is based on a survey of a cohort of 780 individuals, over 65 years old. Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:04:04 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110119120400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101130103619.htm Women with a history of migraine headache with aura (transient neurological symptoms, mostly visual impairments) are at increased risk of stroke. However, according to new research, stroke events in women with migraine with aura are more likely to have mild or no disability compared to those without migraine. Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101130103619.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101011224807.htm The combination of preventive medication and behavioral changes offered significant relief for 77 percent of the individuals enrolled in a study aimed at combating frequent, disabling migraine headaches, according to new research. Mon, 11 Oct 2010 22:48:48 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101011224807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101006114003.htm For many people suffering from migraine headaches, over-the-counter ibuprofen -- Advil and Motrin are well-known brands -- might be enough to relieve the pain. Wed, 06 Oct 2010 11:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101006114003.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100927105351.htm An international study has identified a gene associated with common migraines. Their findings show that a mutation in the KCNK18 gene inhibits the function of a protein called TRESK. TRESK normally plays a key role in nerve cell communication. This study may have implications for people who suffer from recurrent headaches. Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100927105351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920172625.htm A new study shows that aspirin, given intravenously (IV), may be a safe and effective option for people hospitalized for severe headache or migraine, undergoing medication withdrawal. Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100920172625.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100902073641.htm Psychological migraine treatment gives sufferers a confidence boost in their ability to self-manage their symptoms. For severe migraine sufferers, psychological treatments build on the benefits of drug therapy, according to a new study. A comparison of the effects of various treatment combinations for severe migraine - drug therapy with or without behavioral management - shows that those patients receiving the behavioral management program alongside drug therapy are significantly more confident in their ability to use behavioral skills to effectively self-manage migraines. Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100902073641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100829201954.htm Researchers have found the first ever genetic risk factor associated with common types of migraine. The team found that patients with the DNA variant have a significantly greater risk for developing migraine and suggest that an accumulation of a chemical known as glutamate in nerve cell junctions in the brain may play a key role in the initiation of migraine attacks. The research opens the door for new studies into migraine in humans. Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100829201954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100824231218.htm Individuals who suffer from migraines with aura (temporary visual or sensory disturbances before or during a migraine headache) are at a higher risk of dying from heart disease or stroke, according to new research. Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100824231218.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100818161445.htm Teens who are overweight, get little exercise or who smoke may be more likely to have frequent headaches and migraines than teens with none of these factors, according to a new study. Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100818161445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708081233.htm Researchers in Spain have shown that the psychological and physiological state of patients with tension headache improves within 24 hours after receiving a 30-minute massage. Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708081233.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085528.htm New research shows that sleep deprivation leads to changes in the levels of key proteins that facilitate events involved in the underlying pathology of migraine. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085526.htm Typically, migraine is considered to be an episodic disorder with discrete attacks of headache. But new research has found increased network activity -- stronger functional connectivity -- bilaterally in the visual, auditory and sensorimotor network in migraineurs. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085526.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085524.htm Some 19 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq have migraine and migraine is suspected in another 17 percent, according to recent research. While prevalence of migraine among the US military is well documented, little is known about sleep quality in soldiers with chronic headaches including post-traumatic headache and migraine. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085522.htm Migraine sufferers who experienced abuse and neglect as children have a greater risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease including stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) among others, say scientists. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085520.htm Researchers looking for the first time at how migraine sufferers experience the stigmatizing effects of their disease show that chronic migraine sufferers experience worse stigma than episodic migraine sufferers and more than those with other neurological diseases including stroke, epilepsy and MS. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085520.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085518.htm Children who experience maltreatment such as emotional, physical and sexual abuse are more likely to experience frequent headaches, including chronic migraine, as adults, say scientists. Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100623085518.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100608211132.htm The amount of time teenagers spend in front of TV screens and monitors has been associated with physical complaints. A large study of more than 30,000 Nordic teenagers has shown that TV viewing, computer use and computer gaming (screen time) were consistently associated with back pain and recurrent headaches. Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:11:11 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100608211132.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100607065710.htm Alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were associated with increased migraines and tension-type headaches in high school students, according to new research. Coffee drinking and physical inactivity were associated specifically with migraines. Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:57:57 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100607065710.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100413202645.htm A single dose of 900-1,000 mg aspirin can substantially reduce migraine headache pain within two hours, for more than half of people who take it. It also reduces any associated nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound (photophobia or phonophobia). Formulations of aspirin 900 mg together with 10 mg of the antiemetic metoclopramide are better than placebo at reducing symptoms of nausea and vomiting, according to a new review. Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100413202645.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100412161907.htm People with no health insurance are less likely than the privately insured to receive proper treatment for their migraines, according to a new study. Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100412161907.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100408163858.htm When people feel the onset of a migraine headache, they may head to a dark, quiet room to rest. This instinct may be sound: A new study suggests that even without the headache, migraine sufferers may process visual cues better in an environment with few visual distractions. Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100408163858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100217224235.htm Chronic migraine sufferers tend to be in poorer general health, less well off, and more depressed than those with episodic migraine, reveals new research. Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:42:42 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100217224235.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216163324.htm Migraine is seen more frequently in women with multiple sclerosis than those without, according to a new study. Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216163324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216140140.htm Migraine headache affects many people and a number of different preventative strategies should be considered, according to a new article. Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:01:01 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216140140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100215174125.htm A preliminary study suggests the same type of botulinum injection used for cosmetic purposes may be associated with reduced frequency of migraine headaches that are described as crushing, vicelike or eye-popping (ocular), but not pain that is experienced as a buildup of pressure inside the head, according to a new article. Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:41:41 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100215174125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100210161732.htm Migraine sufferers are twice as likely to have heart attacks as people without migraine, according to a new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100210161732.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100210161728.htm Workers and residents exposed to dust and fumes caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, frequently reported headache years later, according to new research. Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100210161728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208211928.htm Use of most electronic media is not associated with headaches, at least not in adolescents. A study of 1,025 13- to 17-year-olds found no association between the use of computer games, mobile phones or television and the occurrence of headaches or migraines. However, listening to one or two hours of music every day was associated with a pounding head. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:19:19 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100208211928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113172134.htm New research shows that migraine and depression may share a strong genetic component. The study involved 2,652 people who took part in the larger Erasmus Rucphen Family study. All of the participants are descendants of 22 couples who lived in Rucphen in the 1850s to 1900s. Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113172134.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100110151323.htm Scientists have identified a new visual pathway that underlies sensitivity to light during migraine in both blind individuals and in individuals with normal eyesight. Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100110151323.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100106082529.htm If you're one of the millions of headache sufferers around the world, more effective relief might be on the way in years to come. That's because the International Headache Society has just published new research guidelines intended to stimulate more research into headache treatment, and to provide researchers with guidelines to cut health risks associated with treatment. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100106082529.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100106003608.htm Researchers have found that incidence of childhood maltreatment, especially emotional abuse and neglect, are prevalent in migraine patients. Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:36:36 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100106003608.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091208162644.htm Patients with a cluster headache, which is characterized by bouts of excruciating pain usually near the eye or temple, were more likely to report being pain-free within 15 minutes of treatment with high-flow oxygen than patients who received a placebo treatment, according to a new study. Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091208162644.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116094455.htm Pooling results from 21 studies, involving 622,381 men and women, researchers have affirmed that migraine headaches are associated with more than twofold higher chances of the most common kind of stroke: those occurring when blood supply to the brain is suddenly cut off by the buildup of plaque or a blood clot. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:44:44 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116094455.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090654.htm Migraine with aura (temporary visual or sensory disturbances before or during a migraine headache) is associated with a twofold increased risk of stroke, finds a new study. Further risk factors for stroke among patients with migraine are being a woman, being young, being a smoker and using estrogen-containing contraceptives. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:06:06 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090654.htm