Migraines affect roughly 7.5% of the world's population. These severe headaches can be anything from extremely annoying to downright debilitating once they strike, depending on the level of the headache's severity. On the average, migraine attacks are a leading cause of absenteeism at work and the incapability of some people to spend "quality" time with their loved ones.

From a medical standpoint, people have yet to exactly pinpoint what causes a migraine. There have been thousands of different studies conducted in an attempt to give an exact clinical defenition of the causes of migraine, but no common factors have been found.

In the past, it was believed that migraines were caused by an insufficient blood flow to the brain. This was because the symptoms that accompanied migraines closely resembled those suffered by aircraft fighter pilots during "blackout". Recent neurological studies conducted with electroencephalograms showed that the main reason for the symptoms that accompany migraines are actually due to an overload of nerve impulses on the surface of the brain itself.

Regardless of the medical facts, the studies were at least able to pinpoint major triggers for migraine attacks based on the lifestyles and conditions of the people they were studying. Until a true medical diagnosis can be found, those people who suffer migraines can at least learn to recognize these triggers to help them cope with their headaches. Some of the major migraine triggers are:

Loud Noises and Bright Light - it was found that some people who suffered from migraines were constantly subjected to loud noise and/or bright lights. The heavy sensory input seems to trigger migraines. Teenagers who often go to flashy, noisy nightclubs, military men, construction workers, and even traffic enforcement officials were shown to sometimes develop migraine attacks after being subject to extremes of light and sound from part of their daily routines. For these people, finding active duty in an area with less sensory input is recommended.

Dietary Intake - cheese, for some obscure reason, along other dairy products like milk and ice cream, seems to trigger migraine attacks in some people. Chocolate has also been known to be a culprit. There is absolutely no medical reason for this, as the people who suffered the migraines were not physiologically allergic to these substances. Also, for other people, it is exposure to the twin vices of alcohol and cigarette smoke that cause migraine attacks. For those who have migraines triggered in this fashion, a change in diet and lifestyle is recommended.

Poor Posture - a poor posture, which in some cases actually leads to mild deformity in the spinal column, has also been observed as a cause of migraines. Some theories about this include the effects of the deformity on a person's nervous system, as well as the additional muscular stress a slouch places on a person's back and shoulders. While inconclusive, it is nonetheless a fact that poor posture has been known to cause migraines in some people. The solution is simple. Start sitting up straight.

Physical Exertion when Out of Shape - it is a sad but true fact that a lot of people in the world are overweight and out of proper physical condition. In the cases of these people, they are sometimes subject to migraine attacks when they undergo heavy physical exertion. This is NOT an excuse for these people not to exercise. As a matter of fact, it is highly recommended that these people get into shape, but just that they do so more gradually without tiring themselves out too much.

Severe Emotional Stress - high blood pressure and severe emotional stress is probably one of the leading causes of migraine attacks. Any time certain people are distraught emotionally, it triggers all sorts of physiological imbalances, including ulcers and migraines. It is severely recommended that these people find a way to cope with the sources of their stress or find a way to alleviate the overload on their emotions to avoid the migraines, as well as the other negative things that accompany high stress situations.

Hormonal and Blood Imbalances - lastly, hormonal and blood stream imbalances, most notably dysmennorhea in women, diabetes, and anemia, have been known to include migraines as part of their effects. The only real solution offered in this case is to take medication that will either help the physical aspect of the problem or, if the imbalance is caused by a natural process like menopause, at least the ingestion of painkillers to help deal with the migraine attacks.