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One of the most frequent migraine symptoms is a sharp throbbing pain that is normally located on only one side of the head near to the temple. Unlike normal headaches, migraines are also often accompanied by additional symptoms that can include sensitivity to light and noise, nausea and occasionally vomiting.

Migraines are quite common and affect about 10% of the population of the United States, or in excess of 28 million Americans. They are also far more commonly experienced by women rather than men (about three times as many women suffer from migraines) and can also be see occasionally in children.

Despite the fact that migraines are so common and usually very painful with an attack lasting anything from a few hours to two or three days, only about 50% of all sufferers consult their physician and the remainder choose to suffer in silence.

It had long been thought these headaches were the result of a of dilation of the blood vessels in the head but, although there is no general agreement, medical opinion appears to be changing in favor of a genetic basis for this problem. Current thinking is that migraines are produced by the interaction of brain chemicals like serotonin with the nerve cells. Currently however the truth is that we really do not know what cause migraines.

There are in fact two different forms of migraine, the first of which is known as 'classical migraine'and is characterized by an accompanying 'aura'. Here 'aura' is used to refer to visual light effects that are experienced just prior to the onset of a headache including things like flashing lights and bright light spots. In a few cases a complete loss of vision can be experienced for several minutes before the start of the headache.

The second form of the condition is simply a migraine without the 'aura'.

Just as we do not really know what causes a migraine headache, so too we have very little idea about just what triggers an attack, though there are several factors which do appear likely to trigger an attack. For instance, getting too much sleep appears to be one factor, as does skipping meals or eating certain foods such as cheese.

Hormones are also believed to influence both the onset and severity of attacks and one piece of evidence for this is the higher incidence of migraines in women. This in part is thought to be because estrogen affects the blood vessels and it has been noted in some studies that there is a connection between contraceptive pills (which contains estrogen) and migraines.

However, just to confuse matters studies have also demonstrated that everyday activities such as climbing a flight of stairs can trigger an attack, as can exposure to heat or cold, loud noises, flashing lights and sometimes stress.

Fortunately, there are various migraine treatments available, although no single treatment is really effective in all cases. One thing which we do know though is that over-the-counter medicines are seldom effective and, if you are unlucky enough to suffer from migraines, then you are best advised to seek the help of your physician in finding an answer that works for you.