As advanced as science is, and with all the remedies on the market, nobody yet has been able to determine the exact cause of migraine headaches. Many researchers favor the theory that migraine sufferers have a nervous system that is more sensitive to stimuli that trigger this particular kind of pain.

Sudden changes in your body, or the environment around you, sets off changes in brain activity that causes inflamed blood vessels and nerves around the brain.

The pattern of migraine headaches that one person experiences, may be nothing like the next person's, which makes it difficult to pinpoint causes. One way to help your doctor determine what your personal triggers are, is to keep a headache diary.

When you feel a migraine coming on, write down what you were doing at the time, what you had been doing immediately prior to that, and what you have eaten that day.

Some of the most common triggers of migraine headaches include:

* Emotional stress * Lack of sleep or too much sleep * Food containing caffeine * Food containing MSG (monosodium glutamate) * Glare from lights or computer screens * Strong odors * Environmental facts such as high altitude, time zone changes and weather * Hunger * Hormonal changes in women

People who experience migraine headache on a regular basis, may find that other family members do, as well. And while there is no proof of migraines "running in the family", it's possible that some people do inherit a sensitivity to certain triggers.