What Causes Migraines?

Migraines are severe, recurrent headaches that can cause nausea, vomiting, mood swings, and sensitivity to light, sound, and touch. Migraine headaches normally produce intense, throbbing pain on one side of the head, and they can last for several hours. For some patients, migraines last for up to three days. Current estimates suggest approximately twenty-eight million Americans are affected by migraines, and the condition typically begins during childhood or young adulthood.

Migraines are sometimes preceded by stages known as prodrome and aura.