You may get them several times a week or as rarely as once every couple of years. As a migraine begins, you'll usually feel pain on one side of your forehead, but it may spread to the other side and back of your head. This throbbing will get worse if you walk around or exercise. And, as if the headache pain weren't enough, many migraine sufferers experience a flulike feeling, complete with symptoms such as diarrhea, increased urination, sweats and chills, upset stomach, nausea, and vomiting. Another hallmark of migraines is a heightening of the senses.
Normal daylight seems glaring, odors seem stronger than usual, and quiet conversation seems loud.
Seventy percent of migraine sufferers are women, and the problem seems to run in families. There's no cure, but certain lifestyle changes and medications can relieve or even prevent the pain, nausea, and other symptoms. What Causes Migraines Researchers do not fully understand migraine headaches. They suspect that stress and certain foods cause spasms in the brain' s blood vessels, starting a chain reaction. First several vessels become narrower, so less blood and oxygen get to the brain.