National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Migraine is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Migraine
If you suffer from migraine headaches, you're not alone. About 12 percent of the U.S. population gets them. Migraines are recurring attacks of moderate to severe pain. The pain is throbbing or pulsing, and is often on one side of the head. During migraines, people are very sensitive to light and sound. They may also become nauseated and vomit.
Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Some people can tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines or they temporarily lose their vision.
Many things can trigger a migraine. These include
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Lack of food or sleep
- Exposure to light
- Hormonal changes (in women)
Doctors used to believe migraines were linked to the opening and narrowing of blood vessels in the head. Now they believe the cause is related to genes that control the activity of some brain cells. Medicines can help prevent migraine attacks or help relieve symptoms of attacks when they happen. For many people, treatments to relieve stress can also help.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Start Here
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Migraine(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
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Migraine Headache
(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Migraine
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
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Headache: Hope through Research(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Managing Migraine: How to Prevent and Control Migraine Headaches(American College of Physicians, American Medical Women's Association) - PDF
- Migraine(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Migraines(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
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Headache: Hope through Research
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Latest News
- Migraines Not Linked to Decline in Thinking Skills(08/10/2012, HealthDay)
- Are Migraines More Common Than Thought?(07/30/2012, Reuters Health)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Sinus Headache or Migraine(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
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Treatment
- Commonly Used Acute Migraine Treatments(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Drug-Free Migraine Treatment(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
- Migraine(National Headache Foundation)
- Migraine Headaches in Adults (Beyond the Basics)(UpToDate)
- Triptans(Consumers Union of U.S.)
- Also available in Spanish
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Prevention/Screening
- Migraine-Prevention "Detox" Plan(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School)
- Migraines: Simple Steps to Head Off the Pain(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Alternative Therapy
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Feverfew(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
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Headaches and CAM(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
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Feverfew
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Nutrition
- Controversies in Headache Medicine: Migraine Prevention Diets(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Low Tyramine Headache Diet(National Headache Foundation) - PDF
- Vitamin D, Migraine and Health: Optimize Therapy!(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
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Disease Management
- Headache Hygiene -- What Is It?(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Migraine's House of Headaches…and Visiting the Neighbors(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
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Specific Conditions
- Abdominal Migraine(National Headache Foundation)
- Basilar-Type Migraine(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Chronic Daily Headaches(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Chronic Migraine(National Headache Foundation)
- Coexisting Migraine and Tension-Type Headaches(National Headache Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Migraine with Aura(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Ocular Migraine: When to Seek Help(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Related Issues
- Alcohol and Migraine(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Allergy, Rhinitis and Migraine Headache(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Allodynia: When Touch Hurts But Shouldn't(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Caffeine and Migraine(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Migraine and Common Morbidities(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Migraine and Obesity: What You Should Know!(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Migraine Medications and Antidepressants: A Risky Mix?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- What Is Serotonin Syndrome and What Should You Know about It?(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
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Health Check Tools
- MIDAS (The Migraine Disability Assessment Test)(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Recurrent Headaches(DSHI Systems)
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Tutorials
- Migraine Headache(Patient Education Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Videos
- Migraine Headache(Beth Israel Medical Center, Dept. of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Migraine Disorders(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Migraine Disorders
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Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: Familial hemiplegic migraine(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Familial hemiplegic migraine
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Research
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Infant Colic and Migraine: Is There a Connection?(American Academy of Neurology)
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- Over 3 Million Look to Hospitals for Headache Relief, Particularly for Migraines(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Stop migraines before they start. Take advantage of proven therapies.
- Article: Migraine prevention: techniques are available, but underutilized. New guidelines emphasize...
- Article: Migraines and perimenopause: helping women in midlife manage and treat...
- Migraine -- see more articles
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Directories
- Find a Healthcare Professional(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
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Organizations
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Newsletters/Print Publications
- American Headache Society Newsletter(American Headache Society) - PDF
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Law and Policy
- Employees with Migraine Headaches(Office of Disability Employment Policy)
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MedlinePlus Magazine
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Children
- Migraine Variants in Children(American Headache Society, Committee on Headache Education)
- Migraines: What a Pain!(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Teenagers
- Migraine Headaches(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
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Women
- Hormones and Migraines(National Headache Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Migraine(Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
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Patient Handouts
- Managing migraines at home
- Also available in Spanish
- Migraine
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Migraine - Multiple Languages
