Headache

In medicine a headache or cephalalgia is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head. Some of the causes are benign while others are medical emergencies.

What is a Headache?

Headache is a common health complaint that affects millions of people in the UK. In the majority of cases, headache is not serious and can be easily treated with medication or lifestyle changes such as reducing stress or ensuring a good level of hydration.

Types of Headaches

Headache Causes and Triggers

Using a Headache Diary

What is Sinus Headache?

What is Tension Headache?

What is Vascular Headache?

What is a Cluster Headache?

What is Muscle Contraction Headache?

What is Medication Overuse Headache?

Headache Behind the Eyes: Understanding the Causes

Can Contact Lenses Cause Headaches?

See more featured articles »

Headaches in Children

Headache Related to Eye Problems

Headaches in Children and Teenagers

Headache Evaluation in Children and Teenagers

Body Posture and Migraines

Migraine with Aura vs. Migraine without Aura

Biofeedback Therapy for Headaches

Frequent Headaches after a Traumatic Brain Injury

Does the Location of a Headache Matter?

Cluster Headaches: Treatment and Prevention

Latest Headache News and Research

Understanding the causes and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea

Do you feel tired or have a headache when you wake up in the morning? Something might be going wrong while you sleep that you don't know about: obstructive sleep apnea (pronounced app-nee-uh).

24 Feb 2025

Interferon gamma persistence offers clues to Long COVID and potential therapies

SARS-CoV-2 triggers the production of the antiviral protein IFN-γ, which is associated with fatigue, muscle ache and depression. New research shows that in Long COVID patients, IFN-y production persists until symptoms improve, highlighting a potential biomarker and a target for therapies.

22 Feb 2025

Smoking linked to unexplained strokes in younger adults

Smoking, particularly heavy smoking, is linked to some unexplained strokes in younger adults, mainly in male individuals and in people ages 45 to 49, according to a study published in the February 19, 2025, online issue of Neurology Open Access, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Feb 2025

Understanding disparities in same-day breast cancer diagnostics

Despite similar availability of diagnostic technologies to women of different racial and ethnic groups, significant disparities were seen in who actually received same-day diagnostic services and biopsies after abnormal mammogram findings, new research shows.

19 Feb 2025

Study suggests sun exposure during first year of life may reduce MS relapses

Getting at least 30 minutes of daily summer sun in the first year of life may mean a lower relapse risk for children who are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) later, according to a study published on February 12, 2025, online in Neurology® Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

13 Feb 2025

Epidural steroid injections may offer modest short-term pain relief for some back pain

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has developed a new systematic review to summarize for neurologists and other clinicians the evidence for epidural steroid injections and whether they reduce pain and disability for people with certain kinds of chronic back pain.

13 Feb 2025

Systemic racism may play a role in genetic testing disparities, study suggests

For children with signs of neurological conditions such as autism, epilepsy and global developmental delay, genetic testing can help make the diagnosis, identify possible treatments and determine whether family members could be affected, among other benefits.

13 Feb 2025

Inhaled antibody therapy shows promise for COVID-19 treatment

The inhaled monoclonal antibody IN-006 shows promise in COVID-19 treatment, with high airway antibody levels and a favorable safety profile in healthy adults.

12 Feb 2025

NIH clinical trial examines investigational therapy for dengue

A clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is testing an experimental treatment designed to help people suffering the effects of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease.

11 Feb 2025

Racial disparities found in migraine diagnosis for children and teens

Children and young people who are Black or Hispanic are less likely to be diagnosed with migraine than those who are white when being seen for headache in a pediatric emergency department, according to a study published in the February 5, 2025, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

5 Feb 2025

NIH-supported clinical trial to test experimental treatment for dengue

A clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is testing an experimental treatment designed to help people suffering the effects of dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease.

31 Jan 2025

Fluctuating cholesterol linked to higher risk of dementia in older adults

Older adults whose cholesterol changes over time may be more likely to develop dementia than people whose cholesterol is stable, regardless of the actual cholesterol level, according to a study published in the January 29, 2025, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Jan 2025

New diagnostic guidelines aim to distinguish common memory disorder from Alzheimer’s

LATE-NC diagnostic criteria improve differentiation from Alzheimer's, addressing challenges in memory-loss syndromes and guiding therapeutic interventions.

28 Jan 2025

An Arm and a Leg: The ‘Shkreli Awards’ — for dysfunction and profiteering in health care

Every year, a health care think tank called the Lown Institute ranks the 10 worst examples of "profiteering and dysfunction" in health care and "honors" the winners.

27 Jan 2025

U.S. mosquito species show minimal risk of spreading Oropouche virus, study finds

US mosquito species exhibit minimal competence for transmitting Oropouche virus (OROV), with low infection and transmission rates across tested populations, suggesting limited potential for local outbreaks despite rising imported cases.

22 Jan 2025

Mental health risks higher for pregnant people with MS

Pregnant people with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a higher chance of experiencing mental illness both during their pregnancy and in the first years after they give birth than those without MS, according to a study published in the January 22, 2025 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 Jan 2025

Tanzania's announces Marburg virus outbreak with single case in Kagera

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

21 Jan 2025

Unmasking the gender bias in Tourette syndrome diagnosis

Tourette syndrome is currently diagnosed about three times more frequently in males than in females. A new study finds that female individuals are less likely to be diagnosed with the syndrome, take longer to receive a diagnosis and are older when they are diagnosed than male individuals. The study is published in the January 15, 2025, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Jan 2025

Wait times for neurological specialty care vary across conditions

Older people wait an average of just over a month to see a neurologist for specialty care after being referred by their primary care physician or another physician, according to a study published in the January 8, 2025, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

8 Jan 2025

Extended Paxlovid courses show mixed results for long COVID symptoms

A study indicates that longer Paxlovid treatments could improve long COVID symptoms in some patients, highlighting the need for tailored antiviral strategies.

8 Jan 2025