Often found as something a whole family may suffer from, migraines will often start when a person is very young. More often than not it is just one side of the head that experiences miserable pain that lasts from four to 72 hours if not treated and usually requires the sufferer to have bed rest. These attacks also leave the suffer feeling exhausted and might take them a while to recover fully.

Some people are more fortunate than others and may only have a couple of attacks per year whilst others have one or more every month. Often other symptoms similar to those of flu may afflict the patient; for instance, light sensitivity and chills, along with a feeling of lightheadedness as well. What isn't understood is why migraines can start at an age as early as ten but normally stop before someone reaches the age of forty; strangely, very few individuals suffer with this condition after they reach fifty years old.

It is not uncommon for a number of family members to share a migraine headache problem and hereditary links are believed to exist; if there is a genetic reason for the attacks, medical science has not yet found this link. Sufferers may acquire sensitivity to a medical condition that brings about inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves near the brain, resulting to pain. 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 about eight percent of men will have an attack in their lives so it is very much a condition that affects women.

Another symptom that is not consistent is those people that know when they are going to have an attack anything up to 30 minutes before it happens; this sensation is called migraine with aura owing to the type of feeling they experience. There are many warning indicators of the attack:

*Nausea is very common *Enlarged blind spots *Reduction in the sensations of taste *Problems with speech

other symptoms exist but these appear to common with most people. Some of these indications are symptoms felt by those who have the most common variant of the condition, migraines without aura; these victims have no warning, but the symptoms can also be intensified if they move to much.

The current belief is that the blood vessels close to the brain might contract, increasing pressure which may cause the migraine with aura experience. The blood vessels may then expand afterwards, which might account for the headache; those who are afflicted say the headache is often so intense that it impedes with regular routinely daily activity and may even keep them awake. A sufferer could have one or more triggers to each attack; the most common complaints are highlighted below:

*Adverse weather *Particular foodstuffs *Height *Drinks *Very bright internal lighting *Not enough food *Personal or work pressures

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.