Migraines affect roughly 7.5% of the world's population. These severe headaches can be anything from extremely annoying to downright debilitating once they strike, depending on the level of the headache's severity. On the average, migraine attacks are a leading cause of absenteeism at work and the incapability of some people to spend "quality" time with their loved ones.

From a medical standpoint, people have yet to exactly pinpoint what causes a migraine. There have been thousands of different studies conducted in an attempt to give an exact clinical defenition of the causes of migraine, but no common factors have been found.

In the past, it was believed that migraines were caused by an insufficient blood flow to the brain. This was because the symptoms that accompanied migraines closely resembled those suffered by aircraft fighter pilots during "blackout". Recent neurological studies conducted with electroencephalograms showed that the main reason for the symptoms that accompany migraines are actually due to an overload of nerve impulses on the surface of the brain itself.

Regardless of the medical facts, the studies were at least able to pinpoint major triggers for migraine attacks based on the lifestyles and conditions of the people they were studying. Until a true medical diagnosis can be found, those people who suffer migraines can at least learn to recognize these triggers to help them cope with their headaches. Some of the major migraine triggers are:

Loud Noises and Bright Light - it was found that some people who suffered from migraines were constantly subjected to loud noise and/or bright lights. The heavy sensory input seems to trigger migraines. Teenagers who often go to flashy, noisy nightclubs, military men, construction workers, and even traffic enforcement officials were shown to sometimes develop migraine attacks after being subject to extremes of light and sound from part of their daily routines. For these people, finding active duty in an area with less sensory input is recommended.

Dietary Intake - cheese, for some obscure reason, along other dairy products like milk and ice cream, seems to trigger migraine attacks in some people. Chocolate has also been known to be a culprit. There is absolutely no medical reason for this, as the people who suffered the migraines were not physiologically allergic to these substances. Also, for other people, it is exposure to the twin vices of alcohol and cigarette smoke that cause migraine attacks. For those who have migraines triggered in this fashion, a change in diet and lifestyle is recommended.

Poor Posture - a poor posture, which in some cases actually leads to mild deformity in the spinal column, has also been observed as a cause of migraines. Some theories about this include the effects of the deformity on a person's nervous system, as well as the additional muscular stress a slouch places on a person's back and shoulders. While inconclusive, it is nonetheless a fact that poor posture has been known to cause migraines in some people. The solution is simple. Start sitting up straight.

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