Unlike normal headaches that many of us suffer with, a migraine is often a hereditary complaint that starts when someone is still in childhood. For many who suffer severe attacks, bed rest is the only option but normally with medication, the pain starts to subside within four hours or so. Almost all sufferers will complain of exhaustion and a feeling of weakness that takes some time to pass.

The frequency of attacks between sufferers is not consistent with some only having one episode a year. A number of the symptoms associated with this condition resemble those seen in people with other common complaints. Migraine is most prevalent in people between the ages of ten to forty years old; however, by the time someone reaches fifty, attacks almost never occur.

It is not uncommon for a number of family members to share a migraine headache problem and hereditary links are believed to exist; even though there may be a link, so far it has eluded medical science. An inflammation of blood vessels and nerves near the victim's brain seems to be a common trait amongst sufferers. More women suffer from attacks and they comprise 75 percent of reported cases; only about eight percent of men will have an attack in their lives so it is very much a condition that affects women.

One of the signs - migraine with aura, is characterized by an unusual sensation (aura) that is in occurrence 10 to 30 minutes prior to the head pain. The warning signs may include:

*Sickness *Vision is affected *Sense of smell and taste is affected *Problems with speech

Other symptoms exist but these appear to be the most common. Some of these indications are symptoms felt by those who have the most common variant of the condition, migraines without aura; this progressively builds up to full excruciating intensity which is aggravated by continuous motion, light or noise often causing nausea and vomiting.

At the moment the theory that blood vessels leading to the brain become narrower and affect the nerves is the closest science has come to discovering the cause of migraines. This narrowing of vessels then leads to an expansion and this pressure change may be the reason for the headache; it can actually incapacitate the victim so they cannot perform even routine tasks. The range of possible triggers that create an attack is huge; the most common are listed below:

*Weather *Certain foods *High altitude *Drinks containing caffeine *Bright lights *Not enough food *Tension

It is therefore a good idea for the victim to see if there is a pattern to the attacks which could then make it easier to avoid them.