What are headaches?
A headache is pain felt in the head or upper neck, but the brain itself has no pain receptors. The ache comes from the tissues around it: blood vessels, muscles, nerves and the membranes that wrap the brain. Tension headaches tend to feel like a band of pressure, while other types can throb or pulse. Triggers vary widely and often include poor sleep, skipped meals, dehydration, screen strain, stress and changes in routine.
How your genes play a role
Your genes help shape how sensitive your nervous system is and how your body processes the chemicals involved in pain signaling. Some variants influence ion channels that control how nerve cells fire, while others affect how you break down stress hormones or handle folate. These differences do not decide whether you get headaches, but they can help explain why your threshold may sit higher or lower than someone else's.
Headaches are common enough that many people simply live with them. Understanding your own tendencies can turn guesswork into pattern recognition. If you know your system may be more reactive, you can pay closer attention to the habits that tend to help, like steady sleep, regular meals and hydration. It also gives you clearer, more useful information to bring to a conversation with your clinician.
What your report shows
Your Headaches results are explained in plain language in your private EvoDNA account, alongside the other areas in your kit.
- Nerve sensitivityHow variants in nerve signaling genes may relate to your sensitivity to head pain.
- Stress chemistryWhether you may clear stress related chemicals more quickly or more slowly than average.
- Folate processingHow efficiently your body may convert folate into its active form.
- Personal contextA clearer picture of the factors that may matter most for you.
| Gene | What it does | Result |
|---|---|---|
| MTHFR | Makes an enzyme that helps convert folate into its… | Typical |
| COMT | Helps break down dopamine, adrenaline and related chemicals, and… | Moderate effect |
| CACNA1A | Provides instructions for a calcium channel that helps nerve… | Typical |
Each result comes with a plain-language explanation and practical points to discuss with your clinician.
Illustration only. Your report reflects your own genetic results.
Genes we analyze
| Gene | Role |
|---|---|
| MTHFR | Makes an enzyme that helps convert folate into its active form, which supports many processes in the body. |
| COMT | Helps break down dopamine, adrenaline and related chemicals, and variants are linked to differences in pain sensitivity. |
| CACNA1A | Provides instructions for a calcium channel that helps nerve cells in the brain send signals. |
| ATP1A2 | Codes for part of a pump that keeps sodium and potassium balanced around brain cells. |
| PRDM16 | A gene involved in cell development that has been identified in large studies of head pain. |
Full panel: 11 genes
MTHFR, COMT, CACNA1A, ATP1A2, SCN1A, PRDM16, SORCS1, PEAR1, TSPAN2, ASTN2, CHRNB3
Putting results to use
Many people use their results as a starting point for conversations with their clinician about:
Going to bed and waking at similar times each day is often discussed as a helpful routine.
Eating at consistent intervals may help avoid the dips that some people notice before a headache.
Drinking water through the day is a simple habit many clinicians suggest paying attention to.
Pausing to rest your eyes and relax your neck and shoulders can ease built up tension.
Questions
Can DNA tell me if I will get headaches?
No. Your genes describe tendencies, not outcomes. They can add helpful context, but sleep, stress, diet and environment play a large role in how often headaches appear.
Is a headache the same as a migraine?
Not quite. Migraine is a specific neurological condition that often includes other symptoms such as sensitivity to light or nausea, while many headaches are simpler tension type episodes.
Should I change anything based on my results?
Your results are best used as a starting point for a conversation with your clinician. They can help you decide which habits or next steps make sense for you.
Only interested in this area? The Headaches & Migraines Genetic Report is available on its own for $99.00.
