Headache Basics: Headaches Migraines
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Headache basics
Headaches do not originate in the brain, as many people think; they are the products of malfunctioning muscles, blood vessels, and nerves in the head. One or more of these malfunctions — for example, the dilation of arteries or overcontraction of muscles — can activate sensory nerves in the head, resulting in a headache.
Hormones such as estrogen can make headaches worse. This is why women, who undergo hormonal fluctuations as part of their monthly menstrual cycle, are twice as likely as men to experience moderate and severe headaches and more likely to experience certain types of headaches, such as migraine.
| Last updated: | September 05, 2008 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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