Migraine isn’t a life threatening illness but the symptoms are always unpleasant and sometimes incapacitating. If attacks of migraine occur frequently, sufferers lose time from work and miss out on activities with family and friends. About 1 in 10 people have migraine at some time in their lives, so it’s a common condition.

What are the symptoms of migraine?

The usual symptoms of an attack are a throbbing headache, nausea and feelings of increased sensitivity to light and noise. In some people, the attacks are accompanied or preceded by disturbances of vision. They see stars or dots or zigzag lines in front of their eyes.  Others experience feelings of numbness or tingling in a part of the body. Some sufferers feel limp and washed out for several days after the attack is over.

What causes migraine?

Migraine often runs in families and it’s likely that part of the cause is genetic. But  nobody knows  why some people tend to get attacks while others don’t, or why attacks are especially frequent and  troublesome at some times and not others.  A few migraine sufferers are able to identify things that reliably trigger an attack. They know, for instance, that, if they eat chocolate or drink a glass of red wine, they will end up with a migraine. But for most people, attacks of migraine come out of the blue and can’t be predicted.