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Could your biological clock influence headaches?

By Mallika Marshall, MD

March 30, 2023 / 5:44 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON - Scientists at the University of Texas reviewed previous studies on cluster headaches and migraines and found that cluster headaches tend to peak late at night or early in the morning and occur more frequently in the spring and fall.

For half of migraine sufferers, while the attacks occurred throughout the day, from morning to evening, there tended to be a lull in the middle of the night.

These findings suggest that taking medications during a certain time of the day or taking medications that alter circadian rhythms could help some patients.

Health Care

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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