Migraines are a special breed of headache. The precise cause of migraines is unknown, but there are thought to be triggers in the environment that affect certain people. When someone experiences a migraine, the brain, in essence, becomes hypersensitive and overly responsive to stimulation.
This stimulation, or migraine trigger, might be a smell or a taste or a certain kind of light. The migraine trigger might be hunger, anxiety, caffeine, or the fluctuation of hormones during a woman's menstrual cycle.
Everyone's migraine trigger is distinctive, and recognizing patterns of migraine occurrence could help you prevent an attack, or treat it when it does strike.