Migraines and Headaches

This question is frequently asked, and the answer is complicated. The effect of acupuncture on migraine and other chronic pain syndromes has been studied extensively. The data from these studies, unfortunately,... continue reading  about  I am a frequent migraine sufferer and I was told that acupuncture can actually help more than drugs to prevent attacks. Is this true?

Dehydration is one of several triggers that can exacerbate migraine headaches, including migraine variants like the one you are experiencing. Maintaining good hydration should help reduce the frequency of these... continue reading  about  I've been having visual migraines where I get jagged vision, usually in my left eye, and progressing from the lower right edge to encompass my whole left visual field. Could this be the result of dehydration?

Yes, Botox can help reduce migraines. The beneficial effect for migraine was first noted in patients who were treated with Botox for cosmetic purposes. This led to formal studies that demonstrated improvement i... continue reading  about  Can Botox help reduce migraines?

There is some evidence showing an increased risk of stroke associated with migraine with aura. Specifically, women who have migraines with auras are at an increased risk for stroke.Smoking, oral contraceptive u... continue reading  about  I'm a frequent sufferer of migraines. Does this mean that I'm at a higher risk of stroke?

Some migraines can be associated with neurological symptoms such as weakness, numbness, tingling, vision and speech changes, and some strokes can be associated with headaches. Therefore, sometimes it is difficu... continue reading  about  Migraine and stroke symptoms seem to overlap. How do I know I'm just having a migraine and not a stroke?

Research has shown a link between being overweight and migraines -  headache frequency and severity are increased. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the link, including biological, behaviora... continue reading  about  I'm a woman (45) who gets frequent migraines. I'm also about 40 pounds overweight. I read somewhere that being overweight might actually increase the number of migraines that I get. Is this true, and would losing weight help?

There are two different conditions that are sometimes referred to as ocular migraines. The first consists of a migraine aura that results in visual symptoms, but the headache may not be present. This is due to ... continue reading  about  What is an ocular migraine, and how do I know if I'm having one?

Yes. Your symptoms could well be associated with perimenopause. The World Health Organization has defined perimenopause as the time period 2 to 8 years prior to menopause as well as the year after cessation of ... continue reading  about  Now that I'm 50+, I've been getting severe headaches with my periods, and it also seems like my nasal allergy symptoms are worse at those times. Is this just a coincidence, or is this associated with perimenopause?

Taking progesterone alone as a cream or tablet has not been scientifically established as an effective treatment for migraine headaches. Many women experience migraines with their menstrual cycles, especially w... continue reading  about  Will taking progesterone help prevent a migraine?