If you suffer form very painful headaches and have done so since you were young, the chances are you may suffer from migraines which are often experienced by other members of a family group. Most suffers will go to bed as the headache (usually on one side) takes hold and which could last a matter of a few hours but if left without attention, could last for days. An attack is debilitating and sufferers are usually left feeling crippled and exhausted after the head pain has passed.

There doesn't seem to be any regularity to the attacks either as one individual might have a number each month whilst another sufferer will only have an attack once a year. Some symptoms could easily be associated with other illnesses like influenza for example. Migraine can affect people from as young as ten and up to the age of forty; almost no cases are recorded after the age of 50.

It is quite common for members of the same family group to suffer with migraine attacks; whilst genetic factors may be involved, this link has yet to be proved. There is a condition that causes an inflammation of blood vessels in the brain and it is possible that people who suffer have sensitivity in this area. Another area that still isn't fully understood is why these headaches are more prevalent in women with approximately three times as many women suffering than men; only one in twelve men will experience an attack in their lives.

A number of people have a warning when they are about to have an attack which is called migraine with aura which can be anywhere between ten minutes to half an hour before the actual attack. The signs for this attack seem to affect the senses and can include:

*Nausea is very common *Problems with vision *Strange sounds or smell *Problems with speech

whilst there are many more symptoms, the list above contains those which are most prevalent. Migraine without aura however, is the most prevalent type and may take place only in one area of the head; this also includes nausea which can be aggravated by movement, noise and light which is the reason most sufferers lie quietly on a bed in a darkened room.

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; it can actually incapacitate the victim so they cannot perform even routine tasks. There are many possible triggers for an attack some of which are shown below:

*Weather *Certain foods *Traveling in a plane *Particular drinks *Very bright internal lighting *Irregular or missed meals *Stress

It is for a person to keep a check to see if they have a pattern by which they can avoid situations that could lead to an attack.