Many people get headaches. A new report says over half of us get them. Researchers from a university in Norway looked at 357 different studies on headaches from 1961 to 2020. The studies were mainly from rich countries. They included data on general headaches, migraines, and headaches from tension. The researchers said that 52 per cent of people in their study had some kind of headache every year. The lead researcher, Lars Jacob Stovner, was surprised that so many people got headaches. The report is published in "The Journal of Headache and Pain".

The researchers found that women get more headaches than men. They said 17 per cent of women get migraines, compared to 9 per cent of men. Six per cent of women get headaches on 15 or more days a month, this number is three per cent for men. Mr Stovner said headaches are common worldwide and can be very painful. He said more people are getting headaches, and that migraine rates are increasing." He called for more research "to analyze the different causes of headaches and to target prevention and treatment more effectively".