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.

Can Reflexology Help Ease Migraines?

Do Migraines Increase Risk of Stroke?

What Foods Can Cause Migraines?

Is There a Link Between Migraine and the Gut Microbiome?

Migraine Symptoms

Migraine is Just like Asthma. No, Really.

Migraine with Aura vs. Migraine without Aura

Does Exercise Help or Worsen Migraines?

Can Contact Lenses Cause Headaches?

Migraine History

Migraine Treatments

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What are Disease Modifying Migraine Drugs (DMMDs)?

Body Posture and Migraines

Economic Impact of Migraines

Common Migraine Triggers

Migraine Pathophysiology

Can Weather or Air Pollution Trigger Migraine?

Migraine Diagnosis

Migraine research

Can Meditation Help Migraines?

Migraine and the Heart

Migraines and Dementia

Differences Between an Aneurysm and Migraine

Latest Migraine News and Research

UCSF research maps over 600 conditions linked to endometriosis

Records from millions of patients at UC health centers found correlations between endometriosis, one of the most common diseases in women, and a bounty of other diseases.

31 Jul 2025

Study finds continued use of risky antiseizure drugs during pregnancy

Despite evidence of the risk of malformations at birth, or birth defects, use of some antiseizure drugs during pregnancy has persisted, according to a study published on July 23, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

24 Jul 2025

Hispanic people more likely to develop peripheral neuropathy than white adults

Hispanic people have an increased risk of peripheral neuropathy compared to white people that cannot be explained by many health, lifestyle and social risk factors, according to a study published July 16, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Jul 2025

Taking specific antiseizure drugs during pregnancy linked to increased risk of malformations at birth

A new study that examined older and newer medications to treat seizures has found that using some medications during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of malformations at birth, or birth defects.

16 Jul 2025

Medieval remedies show surprising parallels to modern wellness trends

It turns out the Dark Ages weren't all that dark! According to new research, medieval medicine was way more sophisticated than previously thought, and some of its remedies are trending today on TikTok.

16 Jul 2025

Scientists discover pathway linking physical pain to emotional suffering

Pain isn't just a physical sensation-it also carries emotional weight. That distress, anguish, and anxiety can turn a fleeting injury into long-term suffering.

10 Jul 2025

Could serotonin supplements become the next hair loss treatment?

Researchers have shown that serotonin directly stimulates dermal papilla cells and promotes hair growth in lab-grown hair follicloids and human hair follicles. The findings suggest serotonin and related compounds could offer new avenues for treating hair loss, though safety and dosing challenges remain.

9 Jul 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

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

New wearable device monitors brain waste clearance during sleep

A new device that monitors the waste-removal system of the brain may help to prevent Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases, according to a study published today in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

31 May 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

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

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

Combined oral contraceptive use associated with threefold increase in stroke risk in young women

New research presented today at the European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) 2025 revealed that the use of combined oral contraceptives (OCs) is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of cryptogenic ischaemic stroke (CIS) in young women.

20 May 2025