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1. Migraine attacks typically affect women between age 15 and 55. Each individual attack usually lasts from four to 72 hours.

2. An estimated 28 to 32 million Americans experience migraine headaches. Migraine victims alone lose an estimated 157 million workdays each year because of headache pain.

3. About one in six women have migraine headaches; women experience migraines three times more often than men.

4. Migraine is a biologically based disorder. Its symptoms are the result of changes in the brain, and may result from a difference in the way you react to stress, as well as other triggers.

5. In an estimated 20 percent of migraine cases, the headaches are preceded by visual, auditory or physical auras, bright spots or uneven, unstable lines moving before the eyes.

6. Many women minimize the impact of migraine on their lives, perhaps figuring there are no effective treatments.

7. Certain factors are known to trigger migraines. They include menstrual and ovulatory cycles, certain foods, weather changes, inadequate rest, strong odors, bright or flashing lights and stress.

8. Migraines can strike as often as several times a week, or as rarely as once every few years. Episodes can occur at any time.

9. As many as 90 percent of migraine sufferers have a close relative who also suffers from the headaches.

10. People suffering from frequent headaches—three or more a month—may want to consider preventive medication such as antidepressants (which adjust serotonin levels), heart medication such as beta blockers and calcium channel blockers, and anti-seizure medication. In people who suffer from migraines less frequently, drugs such as triptans and certain opiates can help treat acute attacks.