Those who get the extreme headaches reported levels of sexual desire that were 20 per cent higher than normal, the study found.

Experts think it may mean that migraines are caused by the same brain chemical that controls human sex drive.

Men taking part in the study of 68 people reported levels of sexual desire that were 24 per cent higher than women.

But women with migraines only had a sex drive similar to men with tension headaches.

Timothy Houle, of Wake Forest University Medical School, North Carolina, said: “The results support the idea that migraine, as a syndrome, is associated with other common phenomena.

“Understanding of this link will help us to better understand the nature of migraine and perhaps lead to improved treatment.

“Sexual desire and migraine headaches may be influenced by the same brain chemical.”