Millions of Americans suffer chronic and debilitating headaches.

But less than half of one percent of the National Institutes of Health's budget goes toward research for new treatments. 

Haley Berot gets a headache every day and one or two migraines a week. Nothing kills the pain. 
 
"I've tried probably 15 headache medicines and stuff for my migraines."

Drugs with any effect at all make her dopey and forgetful. Once a straight-a student, the 16-year-old now struggles for a passing grade. 

Doctor William Young says there's just not enough money for research that could lead to better treatments. Compare the increased funding over the years for epilepsy to the funding for migraines. And another example:

"Asthma, which has about the same amount of impact in society that migraine and other headache disorders have, gets 25 times more funding than migraine," says Dr. William Young, neurologist at
Thomas Jefferson Univ. Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.

That's why he joined the "Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy." 

"We go to Congress and we ask them to talk to the NIH, to get the NIH to put the structures in place that'll make a profound difference and increase the research for headache disorders."

The last medicine developed specifically for migraines was almost 20 years ago. Haley hopes she doesn't have to wait that long for the next breakthrough. 

"I might actually be able to get out of high school and go to a really good college which I think I deserve because I've tried so hard," says Haley.
 
AUDIENCE INQUIRY:
For information about headache funding, or to sign an electronic petition for funding, go to http://www.headacheadvocacy.org, or http://www.allianceforheadacheadvocacy.org/

For general information on headaches:
American Headache Society, http://www.achenet.org
M.A.G.N.U.M.: The National Migraine Association, http://www.migraines.org
Migraine Research Foundation, http://www.migraineresearchfoundation.org
National Headache Foundation, http://www.headaches.org
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, http://www.ninds.nih.gov
 

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