7 Healthcast: Migraines or more?

New research from University of Rochester in New York says migraines may cause brain damage, and that's why preventing them is so important.

A throbbing head, sensitivity to light and sound and nausea -- these are a few symptoms of a migraine headaches. Migraines are painful, but new research finds they're also dangerous.

Researchers did animal studies and found migraines can keep oxygen from the brain and can lead to brain damage. Neurologist Dr. David Chen isn't surprised by the findings.

"It's been something that's been considered for many years. People that have long term migraines often have on MRIs little white spots that were not sure if they're little silent strokes or what," Dr. Chen said.

While no one is sure of the exact cause of a migraine, there are some things that can trigger one, such as hormonal changes, certain foods like alcohol, cheese and chocolate, stress and changes in the environment, such as a change in weather or altitude.

Experts say this new finding highlights the importance of not only treating migraine headaches but in preventing them.

"This study raises more questions and concerns that we need to be more aggressive about treating migraines and more research needs to be done in the area to better understand what the long term consequences are," Dr. Chen said.

This study is in Nature Neuroscience. By the way, migraines are often undiagnosed and untreated. If you're experiencing migraine headaches, talk to your doctor so that a proper diagnosis and treatment plan can be determined.

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