A migraine headache is a special kind of headache that can last for several days and cause intense pain. Migraines may be accompanied or preceded by other symptoms, such as nausea and visual disturbances.
Some people start having migraine headaches as children.
Others may not have them until later in life. The headaches may recur from time to time throughout life. The condition tends to run in families. It affects women three times more often than men. For years migraine headaches were thought to be caused when blood vessels in the head contract and then swell, producing pain.