The exact cause of migraines is not known, but  lack of food, stress, too much or too little sleep, hormonal changes in women, bright sunlight or florescent lights and even some foods such as chocolate or red wine can trigger a migraine attack.

A migraine is an intense throbbing, pulsating pain, it very often is localized to one part of the head and may include symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, extreme pain, or blurry vision. Although migraines can flare up at any time of day, they very often start in the morning. Migraines can last anywhere from a couple of hours to two or three days.

 Migraine headache symptoms can be divided into two categories those that occur before your migraine, and those of the migraine itself

The "Prodrome" refers to the symptoms that occur prior to your migraine, sometimes days before your migraine.  The symptoms may vary from person to person, but becoming familiar with your prodrome can help begin to take steps to alleviate your migraine before it becomes full-blown.  Personally I find that taking my medication at the onset of a migraine is far more effective than waiting until I have significant pain.

Typical Prodrome symptoms are

• fatigue
• increased frequency in urination
• dizziness
• hyperactivity
• upper body muscular tightness, especially in the shoulders, neck and face
• food cravings
• feeling cold/ poor circulation
• changes in emotions such as confusion, depression,or irritability

Migraine headache symptoms also are different from person to person, but if you suffer from any or several of the following, you may be suffering from Migraines.

• Your headache doesn’t does not improve  with over-the-counter painkillers
• You get dizzy when you turn your head, or simply by just lying in bed
• You feel you have to lie down, go to bed, or withdraw to a quiet dark room
• Vision may be blurred, like a curtain coming down over your eyes
• You experience visual “auras” (zig-zag or geometric lines) before the headache strikes
• The headache lasts from several hours to several days (or even weeks)
• You are experiencing a pulsating, pounding, or throbbing headache
• You become hyper-sensitive to light and sounds bother you a lot
• Your pain gets worse when you move or bend over
• The pain is so intense that you throw up or become nauseated

Sometimes other ailments such as sleep apnea can increase the frequency of migraines.  If you snore loudly or otherwise have trouble sleeping you should consult your doctor about getting a sleep study done.

Of course, and unfortunately sometimes migraines are inevitable, a few things you can do in addition to taking your medication are;

Apply a damp cloth to your head, especially if you are sufferering a stabbing pain at the back of the eye, depending on what feels best for you warm or cool damp cloth is laid over the eyes can provide relief. This also provides help if you are suffering photosensitivity.  This technique provides me a lot of comfort.