For some people, the headache is preceded by an aura of visual, sensory or motor symptoms that last for less than an hour. They include seeing flashing lights or specks, numbness in the hand, dizziness and an inability to speak.

People who experience these have a doubled risk of cardiovascular diseases, according to findings published last month in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Migraines sometimes run in families, and these familial migraines have been traced thus far to mutations in either of two genes.

PIN DOWN YOUR CAUSE

To determine what may set off your headaches, keep a calendar to record occurrences, noting the foods you ate or the circumstances preceding each one. If you are a woman of childbearing age, record the stages of your menstrual cycles. If necessary, to uncover foods that may cause your headaches, try an elimination diet, cutting sharply on various foods, then reintroducing them one at a time. This way, a friend discovered that her migraines were set off by corn and corn products.

THE MEDICATION

Preventives and treatments are numerous. If one doesn’t work, try another, but under medical supervision. Do not try self-medication.

In case of migraines that are rare, a drug in triptans class at the very onset of a headache can usually abort it or reduce its severity and duration.

But some people are helped by relaxation therapy, biofeedback or stress management. Also, several good studies have shown benefits from supplements of the B vitamin riboflavin or the herb butterbur.

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