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The science of headache disorders

A recent report by the American Psychological Association finds 8 out of 10 American adults say the coronavirus pandemic is a significant source of stress in their lives. (Jude Beck/Unsplash)
A recent report by the American Psychological Association finds 8 out of 10 American adults say the coronavirus pandemic is a significant source of stress in their lives. (Jude Beck/Unsplash)

Long before Amaal Starling became a physician herself, her doctor diagnosed her with recurring migraines.

“I went to, you know, Rite Aid down the street and basically downed bottles of Excedrin until I got to medical school, when I realized there were other options available for me,” she says.

Starling now treats the increasing number of people with severe headaches.

New research finds that over half of the world’s population struggled with a headache disorder during the past year. But there’s so much we still don’t know about why.

Today, On Point: The science of headache disorders.

Guests

Dr. Amaal J. Starling, associate professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic who studies primary and secondary headache disorders, including migraines and post-traumatic headaches. (@AmaalStarlingMD)

Dr. Peter Goadsby, president of the American Headache Society. Professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles. (@petergoadsby)

Also Featured

Margarita Gokun Silver, dealt with recurring headaches. Author of i named my dog pushkin (and other immigrant tales). (@MGokunSilver)

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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