migraine

Acute, sometimes incapacitating headache (generally only on one side), accompanied by nausea, that recurs, often with advance symptoms such as flashing lights. No cure has been discovered, but ergotamine normally relieves the symptoms. Some sufferers learn to avoid certain foods, such as chocolate, which suggests an allergic factor.

Advances in treatment Belgian researchers trialled vitamin B2 successfully as a preventative for migraine, in 1998. The trial group took 400 mg doses of vitamin B2 daily and 59% of them experienced a halving or more in their headache frequency.

Some success has also been reported in the UK using goggles that depress beta waves in the brain (associated with stress) and stimulate alpha waves (whose effect is calming).