Most people are not aware that migraines can actually be hereditary and start when a person is still quite young. Left untreated, an attack can force the person to have bed rest but normally the intense pain starts to subside within a few hours. Once the attack is over, the victim will still feel exhausted and not able to do much for some time.

The frequency of occurrences can vary and one can suffer from it once or several times in a month or only one in a year. Some symptoms could easily be associated with other illnesses like influenza for example. 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; however, by the time someone reaches fifty, attacks almost never occur.

It is quite common for members of the same family group to suffer with migraine attacks; however, science has not yet proved that there is a genetic factor at work. Sufferers may acquire sensitivity to a medical condition that brings about inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves near the brain, resulting to pain. 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 signs for this attack seem to affect the senses and can include:

*Feeling of sickness *Vision is affected *Strange sounds or smell *Lack of sensation in victim's face

This is only a short list as other symptoms are also experienced. The most common type of this condition is known as migraine without aura; 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.

Science is still trying to discover the reason for migraines and why some people are more susceptible to the condition than others although one theory has suggested that contracted blood vessels in the brain may be the cause. Some suggest that it is the rapid expansion after this narrowing that causes the awful headaches; most victims become unable to do anything for some time after the attack. There are many possible triggers for an attack some of which are shown below:

*Weather *Certain food groups *Height *Drinks *Powerful bright lighting *Insomnia *Work related 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.