Headaches

Microbes to Modify Nitrates in Migraine Headache Sufferers

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Researchers at the University of California San Diego have found that the mouths of those who suffer from migraine headaches have significantly more microbes with the ability to modify nitrates than people who do not have headaches. Many of the millions of Americans who suffer from migraines report an association between consuming foods with nitrates and the intensity of their headaches. The researchers were interested in exploring the idea that foods can trigger migraines and in particular exploring the microbiome connection with migraines. In addition, four in five cardiac patients who take nitrate-containing drugs often report headaches as a side effect. Nitrates are found in foods including processed meats and green leafy vegetables. Nitrite reducing bacteria found in the mouth can reduce the nitrates to nitrites. These nitrites can then be converted to nitric oxide when circulating in blood. Nitric oxide … Read more

Chronic Migraine Sufferers More Prone to Temporomandibular Disorder

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Researchers at the University of São Paulo in Brazil have found that more frequent migraine attacks lead to more severe temporomandibular disorder (TMD). The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) acts like a sliding hinge connecting the jawbone to the skull, and when the disorder of it occurs, there is often difficulty chewing and joint tension. Previous research studies have indicated that migraine is associated with pain in the temporomandibular joint. This specific research was the first to consider the frequency of migraine attacks when analyzing the connection with TMD. The researchers included 84 women in their early to mid-thirties with 21 suffering from chronic migraine, 32 episodic migraine, and 32 had no history of migraine serving as controls. Chronic migraine means that there are headaches for 15 days per month. Signs and symptoms of TMD were found in 54% of participants serving … Read more

Being overweight and underweight can increase migraines

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Research has shown that being both overweight and underweight are associated with an increased risk for migraine. The researchers looked at all available studies on body mass index (BMI) and migraine (a meta-analysis). The researchers feel that more research is needed to determine whether certain people could lose or gain weight to lower their migraine risk. A total of twelve studies with 288,981 participants were included in the meta-analysis. When the researchers compiled all of the results and adjusted for both age and sex, they found that obese people were 27% more likely to have migraine than people of normal weight and underweight people were 13% more likely to have migraine than people of normal weight. In the study, obesity was defined as a BMI of 30 or higher and underweight was defined as a BMI of less than 18.5. The … Read more

Fremanezumab Phase III Migraine Trial

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Fremanezumab is a drug being developed by Teva Pharmaceuticals for the prevention of migraine. Fremanezumab is a monocolonal antibody and a biological agent that binds to and blocks the action of a migraine-associated protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).  Results of the phase III clinical trial were published in Nov., 2017, in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study showed that fremanezumab was found successful in reducing the number of days that chronic migraine sufferers experienced headaches. It is estimated that between 127 and 300 million people in the entire world experience chronic migraine, with 15 or more headaches per month for at least three months. Those who experience such intense and chronic migraines have a tough time finding effective relief. As such fremanezumab has been developed to hopefully help those who suffer and do not have any current medication that is effective. … Read more

Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) Block for Headache Relief

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Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) block has been shown to help provide migraine headache relief for both children and adults. A small flexible catheter is inserted into each nostril and a local anesthetic is administered to the SPG, a nerve bundle thought to be associated with migraines, located at the back of the nose.  The anesthetic briefly disables the SPG and can disrupt and reset the headache circuit, which can break a cycle of severe migraines. A SPG block takes almost immediate effect with relief potentially lasting for many months. The SPG blocks have been performed in children. A child qualifies for the treatment if he/she has been diagnosed with a severe migraine and that migraine has not responded favorably to first-line medications and treatments. This form of treatment can be performed in an outpatient setting by an interventional radiologist. It can … Read more