Your Head Aches: What Could It Mean, and What Can Be Done About It?

• Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
• June 9, 2024
• Full Page

When there's pain, pressure and pounding in your head, you might think the worst: Is it a brain tumor?

Probably not, a Penn State physician assures. 

Headache in and of itself is not a common sign of a tumor, because the brain itself doesn't feel pain, said

Nerve Surgery May Help Some Battling Severe Migraine

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• June 3, 2024
• Full Page

Nerve surgery can reduce the number of headache days for people who suffer frequent migraines, a new review finds.

The procedure also can decrease the ...

Could Heartburn Meds Raise Your Migraine Risk?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• April 25, 2024
• Full Page

People taking heartburn meds have a higher risk of migraines and other types of severe headaches, a new study warns.

All classes of acid-reducing drugs -- proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, and even antacids -- appear to promote an increased risk of migraine and headac...

One in 3 Women With Migraines Say Attacks Occur During Periods

• Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
• April 15, 2024
• Full Page

Among U.S. women with migraine, a third say the attacks tend to coincide with their periods, a new survey finds.

Migraines that occur during menstruation are often frequent and severe, but only about one in five respondents said they used medications aimed at preventing...

Young Adults With Migraine May Face Higher Stroke Risk

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• March 27, 2024
• Full Page

Migraines in young adults appear to increase their risk of stroke more than traditional risk factors like high blood pressure, a new study reports.

Results show that migraine is the most important non-traditional risk factor for stroke among adults ages 18 to 34, account...

'Space Headaches' Can Hit Astronauts, Study Finds

• Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
• March 15, 2024
• Full Page

Astronauts who have never had headaches may develop migraines and other tension-type headaches for the first time when they go into space.

A side effect of zero gravity, these headaches start with motion sickness as astronauts adapt to long-haul space flight, according t...

Vaping, Skipping Breakfast Ups Headache Risk for Teens

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• March 1, 2024
• Full Page

Vaping and skipped meals appear to be the main causes of frequent headaches among teens, a new study says.

Teens who ate breakfast and dinner with their family had a lower risk of frequent headaches than those who regularly missed meals, researchers report Feb. 28 in the...

What Factors Really Predict Migraine Onset?

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• January 25, 2024
• Full Page

Factors like sleep, energy levels and stress can predict the onset of a migraine headache, a new study finds.

Those factors differed from the morning to the afternoon and evening, however.

Poor perceived sleep quality, lower-than-usual quality of sleep and lower-th...

Migraines Could Raise Crash Risks for Older Drivers

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• January 5, 2024
• Full Page

Migraines are not only extremely painful, but they also appear to pose a driving risk for seniors, a new study warns.

Older adult drivers recently diagnosed with migraines are three times more likely to be involved in a car crash, researchers reported recently in the

Migraine? Reach for Prescription Meds, Not Ibuprofen

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• November 30, 2023
• Full Page

Migraine sufferers would do better to talk to their doctor about a prescription drug than reaching for a bottle of ibuprofen, a new study finds.

Drugs like triptans, ergots and anti-emetics can be two to five times more effective for treating migraines than ibuprofen, ac...

Could the Neck Be to Blame for Common Headaches?

• Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
• November 29, 2023
• Full Page

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 29, 2023 (Healthday News) -- Your neck muscles could be giving you headaches, claims new German research that used special MRI scans to spot the connection.

"Our imaging approach provides [the] first objective evidence for the very frequent involvement of...

Solving the Mystery of Why Red Wine Gives Some Folks Headaches

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• November 21, 2023
• Full Page

Countless corks will pop and wine will flow freely during the upcoming holiday season, but some people will pay a price for even the slightest bit of revelry.

For those unlucky folks, drinking red wine even in small amounts causes a headache, typically within 30 minutes ...

Childhood Trauma Raises Odds for Adult Headaches

• Cara Murez and Diane Moy HealthDay Reporters
• October 26, 2023
• Full Page

Children who live through trauma may be prone to having headaches as an adult.

New research found an association between headache disorders and traumatic events in childhood, such as abuse, neglect or household dysfunction.

"Traumatic events in childhood can have s...

Affording Health Care Now a Struggle for Half of Americans: Poll

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 26, 2023
• Full Page

More than half of working-age Americans struggle to afford their health care and many forgo care, possibly risking their health, according to a new survey.

The Commonwealth Fund survey queried more than 7,800 individuals aged 19 and up between April and July.

The s...

What Is That Ice Cream-Induced 'Brain Freeze,' Anyway?

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• August 24, 2023
• Full Page

Anyone who has quickly slurped up a milkshake or chomped on a snow cone knows the sharp, brief pain of "brain freeze."

Its cause is a mystery, but it's not harmful, according to experts at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

"It is very commo...

Bullying Could Help Bring on Headaches for Teens

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• August 3, 2023
• Full Page

So, your high schooler has been complaining of headaches. Should you worry?

Maybe, claims new research that finds bullying and suicidal thoughts are both linked to more frequent headaches in teens.

"Headaches are a common problem for teenagers, but our study looked...

Ketamine Nasal Spray Could Be New Treatment for Migraines

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• May 31, 2023
• Full Page

A nasal spray containing ketamine might help relieve migraine headaches when other treatments fail, a new study suggests.

Ketamine is a synthetic anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects that is sometimes used intravenously for migraine headaches. It's being tried for...

How to Relieve a Stress Headache

• Shirley Eichenberger-Archer HealthDay Reporter
• April 26, 2023
• Full Page

You had a rough day at work and got stuck in traffic on the way home, and suddenly your head starts pounding.

Stress headaches can be debilitating in the moment, but you don't have to suffer indefinitely.

If you're struggli...

Migraines May Follow Daily Circadian Cycles, Study Shows

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• March 30, 2023
• Full Page

Your body's internal clock appears to play a big part in the time of day when severe headaches happen.

Migraines and cluster headaches have different characteristics and treatments, but experts have long noted that they share key features: Both are neurological diseases...

Unraveling the Link Between Menstrual Cycles and Migraine

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• February 27, 2023
• Full Page

Many women experience blinding migraine headaches around their monthly period, and now researchers have a clue about why.

Levels of the female hormone estrogen fluctuate during menstruation, which may lead to increases in calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). This prot...

Cluster Headaches May Be Tougher for Women

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• December 22, 2022
• Full Page

Cluster headaches are more common in men, but may be more severe for women, according to a new study.

Researchers surveyed almost 900 patients diagnosed with cluster headache -- short-lasting but extremely painful headaches that can occur many days or even weeks in a row...

Cluster Headaches Often Joined by Other Illnesses

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• December 15, 2022
• Full Page

Having short, painful headaches for many days or even weeks in a row may signal that you're more likely to have other medical woes, researchers say.

These "cluster headaches" are extremely painful and can last from 15 minutes to three hours at a time. And people who have...

Women With Migraines Face Higher Odds for Complications in Pregnancy

• By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• September 13, 2022
• Full Page

A history of migraine headaches could make a woman more prone to pregnancy complications, such as issues with blood pressure or preterm birth, according to a new study.

"We now know migraines may be an underrecognized risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes," said stu...

8/9 -- Pandemic Brought More Woes for Kids Prone to Headaches

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• August 4, 2022
• Full Page

Add more frequent headaches in kids who are already vulnerable to them to the list of ills associated with the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, 60% o...

Who'll Get Long COVID? Just a Look at a Patient Gives Clues

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 19, 2022
• Full Page

Sometimes just looking at a person can give clues to their likelihood of developing long COVID after a bout with the virus.

For example, obese people are five times more likely to suffer

Acupuncture Might Ease Tension Headaches

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• June 23, 2022
• Full Page

Tension headaches can make you feel like a vice is squeezing your entire head, and if you're among the millions prone to these crushing headaches, a new study brings some welcome news.

Acupun...

Neuro Symptoms of Long COVID May Persist for Months

• By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
• June 20, 2022
• Full Page

Many COVID-19 long-haulers still have neurological symptoms such as headaches, fatigue and memory problems six months later, new research shows.

The findings are the first from an ongoi...

Only 1 in 4 Long COVID Sufferers Fully Recovered One Year Later

• By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
• April 25, 2022
• Full Page

A year after being hospitalized with COVID-19, only about 25% of people felt fully recovered, a new study shows, and the risk of long COVID was highest among women, obese people and those who were on a ventilator.

There are no specific treatments for