What causes migraine headaches?
147776
these are caused by alot of things, persistant migraines could be a side effect of a serious problem, you should see your doctor right away.  some of the things are: allergies, poor eyesight, a torn neck muscle, some pills.  those are just a few things, if you have hit your head on something or are at risk for a stroke I would recommend a CT.  I'm not trying to scare you but this is something to take care of.
584815
I suffer from a couple migraines about once every month.\n\nWhile the exact cause of migraine is not known, most experts agree that migraine pain is caused by swollen blood vessels around the brain and certain nerves in the brain. However, certain "triggers" may bring on an attack. The most common are: \n\nFatigue - from too much physical activity, lack of sleep, or too much sleep \n\nStress - periods during or after stressful situations \n\nSome foods and beverages - particularly foods containing nitrites or monosodium glutamate (MSG); foods and beverages containing aspartame, an artificial sweetener; chocolate; aged cheeses; and alcoholic drinks \n\nCaffeine withdrawal - caused by dramatically cutting back or stopping your caffeine intake altogether. Common foods containing caffeine are coffee, tea, and some soft drinks. \n\nMenstruation - relating to changes in hormone levels at the time of a woman's period \n\n\nhttp://www.webmd.com/content/article/96/103883.htm
59695
A few recent medical studies suggest migraine is associated with transient ischemic attacks (temporary restriction of brain blood flow) and may lead to stroke; hence it may be fatal. However, more studies are needed to establish this as fact since conventional medical wisdom asserts that migraine has no proven connection with stroke, and is not lethal.
234725
I just learned this in class, so I'm going to give you a VERY complete answer :)\n\nThere are different types of headaches (believe it or not), and each type of headache is caused by different things.\n\nMigraines are caused by hormonal changes (ie: estrogen), stress, changes in sleep habits (this alters your serotonin levels), alcohol, narcotics, glaring/flickering lights, and certain foods like aged cheese, red wine, and MSG.\n\nTension headaches can be caused by muscle spasm on your neck, shoulders, and the back of your head.\n\nSinus headaches are caused by congestion around your sinuses.\n\nRebound headaches are caused by the withdrawal of caffeine.\n\nChronic daily headaches can be due to medication overuse, anxiety, or depression.\n\nCluster headaches are an EMERGENCY!  When your headache is only on one side, and the eye on that same side of your head also is droopy and tearing, and you feel really restless (ie: you find yourself pacing the floor), and you suddenly get the WORST headache of your life, then go to the emergency room IMMEDIATELY, and make sure your doctor sees you within 4 hours.\n\nMost headaches start when something changes your serotonin levels, and causes your blood vessels to narrow in your head.  At this point, there's no pain yet.  Later, your blood vessels will widen and become inflamed.  This is when you start feeling pain.\n\nThere are a number of things you can do to treat headaches and get rid of them:\n\n1) Keep you sleep habits the same everyday (it'll keep your serotonin levels constant)\n2) Avoid MSG, alcohol, aged cheese, red wine\n3) If you're a constant coffee/soda drinker, know that whenever you cut back on your usual amount of caffeine, you'll usually get a headache.\n4) Over-the-counter medications include Excedrine, Motrin (these two drugs decrease the inflammation and stop pain), and Imitrex (this drug decreases the effect of serotonin).\n5) If you go to your doctor, they can prescribe medications to decrease the ability of serotonin to cause inflammation (ie: triptans, tri-cyclic anti-depressants), drugs to make your blood vessels go back to its normal size (ie: beta blockers), calcium channel blockers, and topiramate.  Alot of these drugs also have other uses (ie: for the heart, anxiety, depression, seizures), but they're given at  different doses for different effects.
107981
There may be no ways to prevent migraine headaches because the exact source of them is not known. But if there are certain foods that trigger them, stay away from these foods. avoid oversleeping, also birth control pills have been known to cause migraines in women. you just have to figure out the triggers of the migraine and stay clear of them. Also relaxation techniques help people minimize the number of headaches. There are many drugs to aid in the prevention of migraines.
1076586
There are a ton of reasons why you may have headaches.   It could be stress, vision problems, even jaw problems.  These are the most common causes.  Rarely, very, very, rarely is it from a tumor or something in the head.  And usually there are other symptoms that would go along with a tumor.  If these headaches are bad enough to bother you, you should absolutely go to the doctor and just make sure everything checks out.  Good Luck!
637603
anything from stress, mnigraine problems, hangovers, lack of nutrients, lack of sleep. how to get rid of them depends on how they were caused.
904648
Migraines and headaches are, of course, two very different things.  A headache can be caused by numerous things.  Migraine disease is a neurological condition with episodes being triggered by a number of causes.\n\nA lot of migraine sufferers, myself included, are often awakened by migraines.  You might want to keep a migraine diary to watch for what triggers you.  There are primary triggers (things that, all by themselves, will set you off), and then there are triggers that build up (things that combine with other things to trip you into a migraine state).  Some things you can avoid...some you can't.\n\nWhile the following are common triggers, they are by no means all of the triggers that are around:\n\nAged cheese \nEggs\nTomatoes\nCitrus fruits\nWheat products\nAlcohol \nMSG \nChocolate \nCaffeine \nNitrites (hot dogs, bacon, lunch meat, etc.)\nAvocado \nFermented or pickled foods \nYeast, protein extracts, freshly baked yeast products\nOnions \nNuts, peanut butter\nDairy products, yogurt, sour cream\nAspartame \nMold and mildew\nBright lights\nPerfumes and strong scents\nSkipping or delaying meals\nMissing sleep\nHormonal Changes (period/menopause)\nOral contraceptives \nHormone replacement therapy \nWeather conditions, barometric changes, cold and/or dry weather\nHigh altitude\nTime or time zone changes/jet lag\n\n\nStress is not a trigger, but in the same way that stress won't cause a cold, it can often be a contributing factor.\n\nYou should get in to see a doctor - preferably a neurologist who specializes in migraines.  Spendy?  Yes!  But these are the folks who have the answers and can truly help!  I have had migraines for over 40 years, and we are just beginning to really get a handle on the (several types of) migraines I deal with more than 2/3 of the month!
640807
wine and chocolate and cheese . allthough a lovely comnination can cause migraines
464604
Find out what is causing them and treat that rather than the headache itself and it will go away more quickly.  Like stress, light, sinus/allergy, ect.\n\nI get headaches frequently and finally figured out that I have to treat each headache as a separate issue, because they can be caused by many things.\n\nI used to get headaches in grade/high school and finally figured out that I'm sensitive to florescent lights and sitting by a window so the natural light could diffuse the florescent light made a big difference.\n\nNow days the make several different types of painkillers, such as tension, sinus/allergy, migraine...
952541
Many things can be the cause of a migraine.  It has been proven that 25% of the people who get migraines if they take the herb "Feverfew" it will help them.  I use to have migraines and I used the Feverfew along with Ibuprofen.  The good thing is you can take it on an empty stomach and it won't hurt you.  You can buy it a Walmart but be sure you get the 380mg. and take at least two at a time.  They say if you get them ofen take one Feverfew daily and it will keep the migranes away.  Good luck and God Bless.
626965
Something in your environment may also be triggering them, for my wife it was either cleaning chemicals or personal products, both can be quite toxic, when we switched to safe alternatives her migraines stopped and have not returned.
578298
drink more water. i heard that dehydration is one cause for headaches.
1045897
Headaches have a wide variety of causes, ranging from eyestrain, sinusitis and tension to life-threatening conditions such as encephalitis, meningitis, cerebral aneurysms and brain tumors. When the headache occurs in conjunction with a head injury the cause is usually quite evident; however, many causes are more unclear. The most common type of headache is a tension headache. Some experience headaches when dehydrated; caffeine withdrawal is another common cause.\n\nTension Headaches:\n\nThe exact cause of tension headaches is still unknown. It has long been believed that they are caused by muscle tension around the head and neck. Although muscle tension may be involved, there are many forms of tension headaches and some scientists now believe there is not one single cause for this type of headache. One of the theories is that the pain may be caused by a malfunctioning pain filter which is located in the brain stem. The view is that the brain misinterprets information, for example from the temporal muscle or other muscles, and interprets this signal as pain. One of the main molecules which is probably involved is serotonin. Evidence for this theory comes from the fact that tension headaches may be successfully treated with certain antidepressants. Another theory says that the main cause for tension type headaches and migraine is teeth clenching which causes a chronic contraction of the temporalis muscle. Patients with chronic tension-type headache have increased muscle and skin pain sensitivity, demonstrated by low mechanical, thermal and electrical pain thresholds. Hyperexitability of central nociceptive neurons (in trigeminal spinal nucleus, thalamus, and cerebral cortex) is believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of chronic tension-type headache.
582424
Headaches are usually caused by inflammation of the blood vessels in your brain.  The inflammation draws blood to your brain and vascular contraction forces blood out of the blood vessels.  Your head can't expand because your skull is hard.  This puts pressure on your brain and this causes pain.\nThis is why people use antiinflammatory agents for headaches (Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Aleve).  Serotonin is involved in the inflammatory cascade and antimigraine drugs like Imitrex work by modulating this pathway.
1022232
The pathophysiology of migraine headaches is not clearly understood. Growing evidence supports the role of neurogenic peptides, such as serotonin and dopamine, in the brain. These vasoactive neuropeptides stimulate an inflammatory cascade with the release of endothelial cells, mast cells, and platelets. This inflammation causes vasodilation and a perivascular reaction (local inflamation around the blood vessel). The vasodilation may promote this perivascular reaction, in the sense that when vessels dialate they become "leaky" allowing a greater amount of inflamatory mediators to escape. The blood brain barrier is higly sensative to inflamation and can be disrupted. You must also consider, that the brain is very sensative to any for of irritation.
329229
Most headaches happen outside your skull, in the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles that cover your head and neck. Sometimes the muscles or blood vessels swell, which means they get larger. \n\nThey also can tighten or go through other changes that stimulate or put pressure on the surrounding nerves. The nerves send a rush of pain messages to your brain, and you end up with a headache.\n\nDifferent Kinds of Headaches\nThe most common type of headache is a tension, or muscle-contraction, headache. This happens when stressed-out head or neck muscles keep squeezing too hard. When you get this kind of headache, the pain is usually dull and constant. It might feel as though something is pressing or squeezing on the front, back, or both sides of your head.\n\nPain that's especially sharp and throbbing can be a sign of a different kind of headache called a migraine. Migraine headaches aren't as common as tension headaches, especially in kids, but they can still happen. Sometimes, just before a migraine happens, the person sees wavy lines or bright spots of light. This is called an aura. Also, people who get migraines often feel sick to their stomachs and sometimes throw up. \n\nWhat Causes Tension and Migraine Headaches?\nSometimes a headache is just a part of another illness, such as a cold or flu or strep throat. When you get better, the headache gets better, too. If you're not sick, other triggers may cause a headache. For example, staying up too late, skipping a meal, or playing in the hot sun too long can set off a headache. \n\nExcitement about a special event or worry about something (a school exam, for instance) can also cause headaches. Some people get headaches from riding in a car or bus or from straining their eyes by spending too much time watching TV or using a computer. \n\nStrong odors, such as perfume, smoke, fumes, or the smell of a new car or carpet, can start a headache. \n\nSome foods can cause headaches in some kids, such as bacon, bologna, and hot dogs. The caffeine in sodas, chocolate, coffee, and tea may cause headaches, too. Kids don't need caffeine, so it's a good idea to limit it in your diet. \n\nSometimes no one knows why a kid gets headaches, but if you get them, chances are someone in your family gets them, too. The tendency to get headaches is often inherited. In other words, it runs in the family.