Most migraine headaches begin in the morning, however, they can occur at any time of the day. The typical migraine headache lasts from a few hours up to one or two days, although some migraines last longer.
Migraine headaches generally affect people between the ages of 15 and 55, although migraines are most common between the ages of 30 to 45. Migraines occur more often in women than in men. In fact, three out of four people with migraines are women and more than 50% of women who have migraines have menstrually related migraines (MRM) which some studies have found are more painful and last longer than typical migraines. Women are more inclined to report more severe pain during migraines and having migraines that last longer. Women report nausea and vomiting during migraines more often, as well.
Having a family history of migraines significantly raises your risk of developing this, often debilitating type of headache.
The good news is that migraine headaches often become less severe and less frequent with age.
See: Why Women Have More Migraines: The Role of Hormones
Sources:
Diamond, Merle, MD; Menstrual Migraine and Menstrually Related Migraine (MRM); National
Guideline Clearinghouse; http://www.guidelines.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=6587&nbr=004147; accessed 02/07/08.
Migraine Headache; Women’s Health.gov; http://womenshealth.gov/faq/migraine.htm; accessed 02/07/08.
