New York, June 10 (IANS) People suffering from migraine, a severe form of headache, may experience higher levels of sexual desire than others, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine led by Timothy Houle studied 68 young adults from Chicago to examine the relationship between migraine headache and self-reported sexual desire.

Participants underwent interviews to diagnose their headache type - either migraine or tension - and filled out a 14-item questionnaire to measure sexual desire, reported the science portal EurekAlert.

Males reported levels of sexual desire that were 24 percent higher than females. They also found that migraine sufferers reported levels of sexual desire that were 20 percent higher than those suffering from tension headaches.

Females with migraines had levels of sexual desire similar to males who had tension headaches, said the study.

"The study demonstrated that migraine patients in general may experience higher levels of sexual desire than others," said Houle. "They appeared to be aware of this, rating their sex drive as being higher than others their age and gender."

Migraine headache is a common condition with a prevalence of 17.6 percent in females and 5.7 percent in males. The American Migraine Study estimated that 23 million people older than 12 years of age have severe migraine headaches.

The finding may help scientists to understand the disease better and perhaps lead to its improved treatment.