brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Migraines
Introduction
A migraine headache is typically a pulsating or throbbing pain that ranges from moderate to severe. It can affect one or both sides of the head. It is often worsened by physical activity, light, sounds, or odors and accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sounds, light, and/or odors. Migraines may be triggered by lack of sleep, changes in the weather, hunger, excessive stimulation of the senses, stress, or other factors. They can be made worse by physical activity, light, sounds, or odors. Doctors base the diagnosis on typical symptoms. There is no cure for migraines, but medications are used to stop the migraine as it is starting, to relieve pain, and to reduce the number and severity of migraines attacks. (See also Overview of Headache .) Migraines are the most common cause of recurring moderate to severe headaches. Although migraines can start at any age, they usually begin during puberty or young adulthood. In most people, migraines recur periodically (fewer than 15 days a month). After age 50, headaches often become significantly less severe or resolve entirely. Migraines are 3 times more common among women. In the United States, about 18% of women and 6% of men have a migraine at some time each year. Migraines may become chronic. That is, they occur 15 or more days a month. Chronic migraines often develop in people who overuse medications to treat migraines. Migraines tend to run in families. More than half the people who have migraines have close relatives who also have them. 