Migraines and ADHD: The Overlooked Connection to Headaches

Migraines and ADHD are comorbid — but few clinicians consider the headache connection when evaluating and treating patients. Studies continue to probe the underlying links between the conditions, but findings show that the impairing symptoms of migraines may aggravate ADHD symptoms and that patient outcomes improve when clinicians avoid compartmentalizing the conditions.

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May 31, 2024 at 12:49 am

It would have been good for this article to mention cluster headaches too. They are all too often disregarded in the overall topic of headaches. Even some doctors are unaware of them.

There are medical journal articles that describe a link between CH and ADHD. Like migraines, they are a vascular headache and they are just as debilitating, often striking daily for months.

For many sufferers they are like a fire that begins behind one eye and cause it to water before the pain quickly spreads to the temple, jawbone and even teeth on that side of the face.
Normal painkillers often have no effect. Instead the first line medications constrict the blood vessels that press against the trigeminal nerve. The same medications are often used for migraine too.