The term migraine has ancient beginnings. It comes from the Greeks and Romans, who were some of the earlier peoples to have described migraine headaches. The symptoms of migraine can occur at any age, although it is common to see the first headache during the teenage years. Most patients have had the first attack by the time they are 40 years old.
Attacks are often recurrent but tend to get less severe as a patient ages.
Most people with migraine have family members who also have the disorder. For many patients, specific environmental or internal factors can trigger headache severity or frequency. These triggers include drinking alcohol, sleep deprivation, artificial food additives such as MSG, menstruation, stress, and medication. Sexual activity and heavy exercise may trigger a migraine in some patients. Pregnancy may either cause the headaches to increase in frequency, or for a fortunate few, result in temporary improvement.