How does a migraine headache develop?
Migraine headaches commonly start during childhood (between 2.5 percent and 22 percent of children experience extreme headache pain) and may lose their intensity and frequency as one ages. Children as young as two can suffer from migraines. In addition, they tend to run in the family if one’s parents suffered from migraines, there’s a 74 percent chance the children will as well. During childhood, boys and girls experience these headaches with the same frequency. After puberty, however, girls tend to suffer more. The intensity of headaches may increase for women during the first few months of pregnancy as well as during menstruation. Research suggests that migraines may be caused by functional changes in the trigeminal nerve system, a major pain pathway in the brain, and by imbalances in the chemical serotonin, which acts as a regulator to pain messages going through this pathway. Other studies utilizing brain scans have shown that the volume and amount of blood reaching the brain is re
