Migraines tend to run in families, and first show up in the teen or young adult years. They are more common in women, and often occur during, or right before, a woman's menstrual period. A typical migraine might cause severe throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head. The pain builds up during an attack and can last for several hours. Sometimes migraine pain covers both sides of the head and is a dull pain.
Many factors can trigger a migraine.
Some or these include stress, lack of sleep, skipping a meal, using alcohol, taking birth control pills, or changes in the weather. For some people chocolate, red wine, MSG, food preservatives or caffeine may trigger a headache. The changes or foods that bring on a migraine are likely to be different for each person. It helps to notice which things seem to happen before a migraine occurs and then to avoid them in the future. Counseling or relaxation techniques for reducing stress may be useful in preventing attacks.