Is it true that women are more likely to suffer from migraines? Yes. Women are more likely to be classic or common migraine sufferers. Estimates vary, but they hover at around 70%. At what age do migraines usually start? Migraines can begin at any age, but most people develop them around adolescence or in their 20's. Are migraines hereditary? Usually. Most migraine sufferers have a close family member who also gets them. According to Neil Raskin in his book Headache: 50-60% of parents of migraineurs have a history of migraine vs. 10-20% of parents of headache-free subjects. How frequent are most migraines? Frequency is highly variable, and to some extent depends on what your individual triggers are. In general, common migraines are said to occur more frequently than classic ones, and no matter what type you suffer from, the frequency usually decreases with age. I also get tension headaches. Is that normal? Yes, migraine sufferers also get tension headaches. Tension headaches are characterized in part by an inability to relax the scalp and neck muscles. Low serotonin has been implicated in tension headache pain. They worsen with vasoconstrictive drugs and get better with vasodilators. Can chronic headaches be successfully treated? Our program has treated chronic headaches with a high rate of success. A variety of treatments can be used to improve or eliminate headache problems, and a wide majority of our patients have experienced improvement after using these treatment methods. Do migraines have to be treated with prescription drugs? Medication is only one treatment for migraines. There are a variety of non-pharmacologic treatments as well. These treatments include identification and elimination of trigger factors, stress-management strategies and relaxation exercises, biofeedback techniques, and actions to promote sleep.