New drugs that block a brain chemical are game changers for some migraine sufferers

Options to prevent and treat the severe headaches are becoming available

  Everything you ever wanted to know about migraines (but were in too much pain to ask)

Are women more prone to them? Do they get less severe with age? And what drug treatments are on the horizon?

 Here’s What the Different Migraine Stages Really Feel Like

Ever heard the phrase “not again” escape the lips of a poor soul dealing with the early stages of migraine? Nobody actually enjoys these initial symptoms, but learning how to recognize them can be quite helpful when it comes to preparing for what comes next. Migraine is an invisible illness that can hold a tremendous amount of power over those who live with it, and it’s more common than you may think.

 There’s finally a drug that prevents migraines instead of just treating them

The FDA's approval shows we're getting closer to understanding these headaches.

 We Need to Talk About Migraine Stigma

There is no typical migraine—nor is there a typical migraine patient.

Migraines were taken more seriously in medieval times – where did we go wrong?

There aren’t many ailments that have maintained so clear a course over so many centuries. And what’s more, looking at the history of migraines reveals that the ailment was actually taken more seriously in the past, something we can learn a lot from today.

When It Comes To Migraines, the Drugs Are Almost As Bad As the Pain

For migraine sufferers, picking the right medication can be a real headache.

Where Is the Cure for the Migraine?

The most effective drugs so far arrived in the early 1990s. These medications, known as triptans, include Imitrex, my current drug of choice. While they have brought temporary relief, they have not prevented or reduced the overall number of headaches. Now we may have true cause for hope.

Beware, a Big Headache Is Coming

A migraine is among the most debilitating conditions in medicine—a blinding, throbbing pain that typically lasts between four and 72 hours. There is no cure. Yet, a few hours or days before the dreaded headache sets in, subtle symptoms emerge...

How To Find Relief From Migraines

Everyone gets a headache now and then, but migraine headaches are characterized by recurring attacks of moderate to severe headache pain. Often called migraines, these headaches are a common neurologic condition that can negatively affect an individual’s quality of life.

Migraines During Pregnancy

Migraine headaches are like a lottery when it comes to pregnancy. If you are prone to getting migraines, you may experience stronger headaches, or you may find that they diminish.

Migraines in childhood and adolescence: more than just a headache

Many adults who have a lifelong problem with migraines first experience them in childhood or adolescence. Migraine headaches occur in 15% to 18% of children, and the prevalence peaks between the ages of 11 and 13. These figures are similar in adults. The worst 10% of adult sufferers account for 85% of the overall time lost to headaches. This suggests that if you don’t get effectively treated or grow out of your adolescent migraines, they may get progressively worse.

Migraines: Silent Wounds of War

For me, migraines are not abstractions. I am one of the 36 million Americans who suffer from them. Migraines have sent me to the emergency room, and they have locked me in seclusion, unable to think straight and plagued with nausea. Seemingly intolerable sounds, smells, and activities of life outside my room are second to the pain. It is a raw, relentless pain that makes you want to disappear or beat your head. It makes you wonder how long it will go on—and how long until it returns.

New Migraine Drugs Are on the Horizon

New insight into the chemical mechanism involved in migraine pain has led to new medicines, now in late stages of development

New Nerve Drugs May Finally Prevent Migraine Headaches

The cause of migraine headaches has eluded scientists for centuries. Now a theory blaming one nerve has led to drugs that prevent attacks.

Ocular and visual migraines: What's the difference?

The term "migraine" usually brings to mind a severe type of headache. But visual disturbances with or without headache pain also can accompany migraine processes thought to be related to changes in blood flow in the brain.

Oh My Aching Head…

Women are three times more likely to have migraines than men and 50% are more likely to be misdiagnosed. Cindy McCain decided to open up about her migraines because of the stigma attached to them, especially for women.

Sex Matters in Migraines

Female migraineurs may need different treatments than male sufferers.

Women With Migraines Are More Prone To This Scary Health Condition

Researchers found that women who have migraines were at greater risk of having a heart attack and angina (chest pain), and of needing to undergo heart-related procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting, compared with women who did not get the severe headaches...

Patient Voices: Migraine

Almost 30 million Americans suffer from migraines, severe, recurring headaches that may occur along with symptoms of nausea, light sensitivity or weakness. Women are three times more likely than men to have this type of headache, and treatment for migraines varies widely — from traditional pain medications to preventatives to alternative remedies and exercise. Here, five men and women speak about the ups and downs of living with migraines.

Can migraines be untangled by new medical thinking?

Dr Peter Goadsby’s pioneering work has changed our understanding of migraines. Eva Wiseman, who has endured them since she was a child, hears how he found his way to the source of the pain – and what can be done about it

Doctors Fret As Men's Health Startup Moves Into Migraine Treatment

“One thing I would say that's good about this,” Dr. Loder says of Cove. “Is that people are paying attention to migraines, and they clearly are starting to realize how many people have it.”

Is It a Migraine? Many Patients Don’t Realize What Causes Their Suffering

Migraines are not just headaches. It is diagnosed in patients only if they have had a minimum of five attacks, each lasting four to 72 hours. Each attack has to include at least two of the following symptoms: throbbing headache with pain that is moderate to severe, that worsens with activity, and is only on only one side of the head. Also, a person suffering a migraine attack is nauseated or abhors sound or noise.

Migraine Breakthrough: Not So Fast

Migraine is a disease with significant unmet medical need. Notably, the World Health Organization selected migraine as a condition which should be prioritized for development of more effective treatments. While several classes of migraine treatments are available for many patients - both over-the-counter and by prescription – their effectiveness is limited.

New migraine drug: A neurologist explains how it works

The newly approved medication Aimovig is largely designed as an antibody against CGRP itself and involves once-a-month injections under the skin using self-injectors with a hidden needle. Like any injectable medication, it can cause skin reaction. In clinical trials, that occurred in only 5 to 6 percent of participants.

Relief for Children’s Migraine Headaches

New guidelines for therapies for children and adolescents can reduce or eliminate attacks of migraine and greatly shorten their duration.

Treating A Migraine With A Simple Puff Of Air

A new, medication-free option in development from Nocira may offer relief from migraines in an amazingly simple, yet effective way: a puff of air.

Understanding Ocular Migraine: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

“Ocular migraine” can be a confusing term to understand. Here's what to know.