What Causes Migraines? Topic Guide

Migraine headaches are intense, recurring headaches that are sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting and other symptoms. Alternative therapies that have proven successful for some include: spinal manipulation, acupuncture, and homeopathy. It is important to do research on the practitioner and make sure alternative therapies don't do harm.

Migraine symptoms include pulsating, throbbing, or pounding pain on the sides or front of the head, visual disturbances (blurring of vision, flashing lights, seeing “stars”), and sensitivity to light and/or sound. For some people, an aura is an early warning sign of an impending migraine.

Migraine headaches are one of the most common problems seen by doctors, Urgent Care Centers, and Emergency Departments. While the exact cause of this type of headache is not clearly understood, researchers and doctors believe they are due to changes in the brain and surrounding blood vessels.Triggers for migraine headache are certain foods (chocolate, cheese, alcohol, msg, etc.), stress, birth control pills, and smoking.Signs and symptoms of a migraine include a variety of warning signs (referred to as “prodome”), for example, feeling "high," irritable, or depressed, migraine aura, headache pain, and migraine pain that resolves. Other migraine symptoms, for example, problems eating, concentrating, and fatigue may linger after the pain is gone.

The difference between headache and migraine often includes intense pain, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, and nausea and vomiting for migraine headache. Migraines last from 4 hours to 3 days and may be preceded by pre-migraine symptoms like auras. The exact cause of migraines is unclear, but numerous triggers can precipitate a migraine attack. Migraines may be managed and/or prevented by a combination of medication and avoiding triggers.

Migraine is a headache condition that comes back again and again. Ten percent of children get migraines, and an even higher percentage of teenagers have them. Migraines can be managed with a number of different varieties of medications.