There can be few things more unpleasant to have to deal with than persistent headaches. The constant pain that they bring can be quite debilitating and often manifest itself in other symptoms, not least irritability, difficulty concentrating and low work productivity.

Headaches can have different causes, but one of the most unpleasant and persistent kinds is a migraine. If you are suffering from a lot of headaches, especially if they are accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, this could be a migraine.

Key symptoms tend to be a severe pain on just one side of the head, with other common elements including nausea and being sick, as well as extra sensitivity to light and sound.

However, If you are suffering a very bad headache and struggle with light and this is an unusual thing for you, it is important to check it is not something else such as meningitis.  Equally, other severe and sudden headaches can be a stroke symptom, such as slurring of speech and the loss of movement in a limb.

In either of these instances, you should be seeking urgent medical assistance, but these symptoms are much more severe and quite distinct from migraines.

For many migraine sufferers a key feature is persistence. This means that you will regularly suffer from migraines and the problem will not go away on its own. Sometimes it is preceded by aural flashes, but not always, and sometimes such flashes can actually happen without a headache.

If you are a sufferer, it is important to note you are far from alone. Around one in five women and one in 15 men suffer regularly, with symptoms usually emerging in early adulthood. The frequency can vary widely; some go years between attacks, while others have them multiple times a week.

Thankfully, helps is at hand from our migraine relief pharmacy. You don’t have to go through life consistently enduring the pain, nausea and other issues associated with migraines.

It may come as a surprise to learn that fairly standard medication can help ease migraines. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen are among the effective treatments available.

According to Nurofen, which makes Ibuprofen, the possible causes of migraines are numerous. Hormonal changes are a big factor and are most common around the time of menstruation, which is a major reason why women are more likely to suffer them than men.

Other factors include stress, skipping meals, becoming dehydrated, consuming particular kinds of food and drink (especially alcohol), while for some people exposure to loud noises or bright lights is the issue. Sometimes migraines are caused by a combination of these.

The underlying cause of migraines is not fully understood and more research is needed, although studies carried out to date have indicated that the tendency to suffer migraines is inherited.

For all that, with the right medication you can get a great deal of relief from migraines and by ensuring you have stocked up on enough supplies, you can always be ready to reach for help in your medicine cabinet when you feel another migraine coming on.