- You suffer from pounding or throbbing Headaches.
- Your Migraine pain leaves you nauseous or causes you to throw up.
- The presence of light, sound or smell worsens the pain and makes you sick.

Debilitating Migraines affect millions of Americans each day. These paralyzing Headaches can isolate you from your friends, family and job. And there was nothing you could do to prevent them...until now!

Read on to discover how debilitating Migraine pain can become a thing of the past! Here’s some secrets about Migraine pain that you need to know and that most other web sites won't tell you.

The Migraine has been a well known medical problem for over 5,000 years and represents one of the most investigated types of head pain.

Research performed on large groups of people has shown that in the U.S., 18% of women and 6% of men suffer from Migraines. This means approximately 18 million females and 5.6 million males over the age of 12 suffer from Migraines. According to the Center for Disease Control, incidences of Migraines have increased 60% from 1981 to 1989 and costs associated with the treatment and research of Migraines are estimated at 18 billion dollars per year.

Know what you’re up against
– not all Migraines are the same! Read on to learn which Migraine symptoms you suffer from and how to alleviate them once and for all!

The two most important categories are Migraine without aura (common Migraine) and Migraine with aura (classic Migraine).

Auras represent several forms of visual disturbances that are described as dark or black point(s) that may or may not expand and obscure the patient's vision. The black spot may be surrounded by lights with zigzag lines.

Patients with classic Migraine symptoms may exhibit stroke-like symptoms including symptoms affecting one hand, arm, or side of the face.

A diagnosis of Migraines without aura is made if the patient fulfills specific criteria. The patient must have a history of five previous similar episodes, with pain lasting between 4 and 72 hours. Additionally, they must meet two of the following four characteristic symptoms:

Unilateral head pain
Pain must be throbbing or pulsing
An experience of moderate to severe pain which Inhibit or restricts the ability to function
Pain is made worse by routine physical activity.
Furthermore, they must have one of the following two symptoms present:

Nausea and/or vomiting
Adverse reactions to light or sound.
In contrast, Migraine with aura employs the same diagnostic criteria as common Migraine with the following exceptions Patients only need a history of two prior Migraine attacks and must fulfill three of the following four criteria:

One or more aura symptoms
Aura symptoms that develop over more than 4 Minutes
Aura lasts less than 60 seconds
Headache follows within 60 minutes of the aura ending.
It’s interesting to note that Migraine sufferers are more likely to experience specific types of Headache pain including intense throbbing head pain, brought on by exertion; ice-pick-like pains or electrical jabs or “stabbing Headaches”; and unilateral, intense eye pain.

So, what really causes Migraines? Does anyone really know the answer?

The basic cause of Migraines is still unknown. Although genetics may play a role, with 50 to 70% of Migraine sufferers reporting a familial occurrence, no consistent biochemical or physiological characteristic can be recognized in the relatives of those afflicted with the condition.

There are several theories as to what causes a Migraine and what happens to us when they occur. One of these theories suggests that certain arteries in our brain contract and cause a reduction in blood flow to the visual area of our brain. It is suggested that this reduction of blood flow results in the visual and other symptoms that accompany a Migraine.

This theory further suggests that the pain that often follows these symptoms was the result of dilation (expansion) of the carotid artery and pressure on the nerves in the artery wall.

Yet another theory proposes that nerve cells in the brain begin to lose function which causes a reduction blood flow, which reduces levels of magnesium, which in turn adds to decreasing nerve cell function and that this dysfunction spreads in a wave-like fashion to all effected areas.

Many researchers feel that serotonin, an important brain chemical, may fuel Migraines. Platelets (components of our blood) contain all of the serotonin normally present in blood, and, after they clump together, serotonin is released resulting in a potent constricting effect on the arteries.