A strong relationship betweenmigraines and epilepsyhas long been suspected.

But now it is fact, according to extensive research cited by Steven Karceski, MD in Practical Neurology Magazine.

The International Headache Society (IHS) criteria divides headache disorders into two main groups, with similarities to groups of epilepsies:

Secondary headaches,symptomaticof an underlying condition such astraumaor a mass lesion.

This group is analogous to the symptomatic epilepsies.

Primary headaches, with no identifiable underlying cause.

This group includes migraine, tension-type headache, cluster headache, and a number of rare disorders; it is analogous to theidiopathicepilepsies.

People with epilepsy are more than twice as likely to develop migraine headaches as those without the disorder.

And research has shown that more than 20 percent of people with epilepsy have migraines, compared to 11 percent of the general population.

Evidence supports the coexistence of migraines with the following conditions:

* In migraine sufferers, 6% have epilepsy,more than ten…