Friendly Bacteria Found to Clear Some Headaches

Some headaches may be linked to infection by a common bug, and daily doses of friendly bacteria could ward them off, preliminary research suggests.

A study presented April 26 at the Milan infectious diseases conference found that about 18% of chronic migraine sufferers were infected with the stomach bug Helicobacter pylori and that antibiotics appeared to clear the headaches.

Adding the friendly bacteria Lactobacillus seemed to work even better, leaving most people migraine-free for a year and lessening the intensity and frequency of recurring headaches in the others, the lead researcher said.

H. pylori, the bug that causes gut ulcers, has been linked to a growing list of diseases, including heart disease, autoimmune diseases and skin conditions.