A migraine is a complaint that is quite often suffered by other family members, all of which have probably been experiencing them from a young age. Often these attacks can last for days where the victim must seek bed rest; however, if it is treated, they can end in a matter of hours. These attacks also leave the suffer feeling exhausted and might take them a while to recover fully.

One thing that is still unknown is why some people have much more frequent attacks than others. Some symptoms seem to be consistent with most victims; those of a feeling like those associated with cold or influenza and a problem with bright lights. Migraine is most prevalent in people between the ages of ten to forty years old; in almost every instance however, attacks usually diminish or end in later adult life usually once the person is over 50 years old.

Members of the same family are often cursed with migraine and there is believed to be a hereditary link; whilst genetic factors may be involved, this link has yet to be proved. It is believed that victims have a certain susceptibility in their brains that allows the blood vessels and nerves to become inflamed.

Sufferers may acquire sensitivity to a medical condition that brings about inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves near the brain, resulting to pain. There are three women to each man that suffer with this condition; only one in twelve men will experience an attack in their lives.

Before the migraine attack, some people have a distinct warning called an aura which usually precedes the headache from anywhere between ten to thirty minutes. There are many indications this may happen which will vary between sufferers which can be one or more of the following:

Nausea

Enlarged blind spots

Peculiar sounds and tastes

Reduced sensation in sufferers extremities

Other symptoms exist but these appear to be the most common. The most common type of this condition is known as migraine without aura; this condition can escalate and is made worse by any movement, loud noises and bright lights which can cause the person to vomit.

The exact reason for having migraine is not clear and yet to be discovered but one assumption is that the blood vessels in areas of the brain become narrower which may be the explanation for the aura.

Some suggest that it is the rapid expansion after this narrowing that causes the awful headaches; those who are afflicted say the headache is often so intense that it impedes with regular routinely daily activity and may even keep them awake. The range of possible triggers that create an attack is huge; the most common are listed below:

Bad weather

Anxiety symptoms

Altitude

Anxiety or panic attacks

Drinks containing caffeine

Strong intense sunlight

Infrequent or irregular eating habits

Tension

Only by carefully documenting everything that was going on prior to the attack can the victim hope to find out what starts the attacks off.