A headache is a nearly universal phenomenon, part of the human condition. Migraine, on the other hand, is much more than a headache because it affects the entire body and interferes with the person s ability to function at home, school, or work. Prevalence Headache is one of the most common symptoms of individuals seeking medical care, accounting for almost 10 million outpatient visits per year in the United States. Headache is a potential side effect for countless medications and is often the first indicator that the physical system is undergoing an assault, whether bacterial, viral, biochemical, hormonal, or other imbalance.
Statistics indicate that women are three times more likely to suffer from migraine than are men.
However, among children, there is an equal ratio of girls to boys with migraine, suggesting that hormones may significantly predispose women to migraine. The cause of headaches is not yet completely understood. Genetics seems to play a role in predicting susceptibility to problem headaches, such as migraine and tension-type. These headaches seem to arise from the interaction between genetic vulnerability and the environment. Serotonin is a neurochemical that protects the body from headaches.