Over 29,000,000 million Americans are afflicted by migraine and that represents approximately 10% of the population. Migraine headaches afflict women nearly 3 times as much as men and they are not restricted to adults with a sizeable number of children suffering from them as well. A migraine attack lasts anything from a just few hours to three or four days and with longer attacks sufferers often experience secondary effects for far longer. In spite of the fact that migraines are so common close to half of all sufferers do not see a physician about the condition.

A common symptom of a migraines is a sharp throbbing pain to one side of the head which is frequently localized close to the temple. It is also often accompanied by various other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to both noise and light.

The exact causes of migraines are not known and, despite the fact that for many years it was believed they resulted from a dilation of the blood vessels, Current research now tends to favor alternative explanations. As well, despite the fact that there is no good consensus of opinion, a lot of researchers think that the migraine is a genetic disorder which affects how certain chemicals in the brain such as serotonin interact with the nerve cells.

The complexity in explaining the mystery of migraines is amplified by the fact that they come in two different types.

The first form is called 'classical migraine' and is linked with something which the professionals refer to as an 'aura'. The aura has nothing to do with mystical fields around the body but refers to the symptoms sufferers experience before the arrival of a migraine headache. For these migraine sufferers it is usual to have visual hallucinations such as bright spots and flickering lights or even to experience loss of vision just before the arrival of a migraine headache.

When there are no visual symptoms sufferers suffer from the second form of migraine headaches.

Striving to pin down precisely what gives rise to a migraine is far from simple although data collected over the years may point to the final answer. For example, people who get insufficient sleep appear to be at greater risk, as are people who have too much sleep which has been linked to a greater incidence. Attacks are also generally linked to eating certain food items such as cheese and to skipping meals.

Many researchers also think that some hormonal factors have an affect on both the onset and severity of migraine attacks and one piece of evidence in support of this is the much higher incidence of migraines in women than men. In fact, one particular study showed an incidence of 17% in men against just 6% in men. In addition, studies have revealed a connection between the contraceptive pill and migraines and we known that Estrogen, which is a main ingredient in birth control pills, affects the blood vessels.

However the list of factors which trigger migraines does not end here and many everyday activities such as walking up stairs or more intensive physical activity can trigger an attack, as can stress, exposure to extremes of cold and heat and exposure to flickering lights and loud noises. It has also been noted that migraines occur more frequently when there is a combination of these trigger factors present.

Luckily, there are various medical treatments available, though none can really be said to be overwhelmingly effective in all cases, and writing a diary of your attacks will often help you to identify lifestyle changes which may help in curing migraines. If lifestyle changes alone do not do the trick then there are a number of medications which your physician can prescribe to help.