People experiencing migraines often avoid light and find relief in darkness.

A new study led by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has revealed a previously unknown connection between the light-sensitive nerve cells in the eye and centers in the brain that regulate mood and a host of physical parameters such as heart rate, shortness of breath, fatigue, congestion and nausea.

The findings, which explain how light can induce the negative emotions and unpleasant physical sensations that often accompany migraine, were published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Migraines are now recognized as a chronic disorder, not simply as a headache.


Read Entire Article »