My first migraine took hold while walking home from school when I was 13 years old in 110-degree heat. After hibernating in a dark room for several hours with a cold, wet compress over my eyes, I celebrated the return of my vision and the reduction in pain behind my eyes. Since then, I've identified the factors (extreme heat, light and stress) that can trigger my migraines and manage the episodes fairly well. However, for many other people, it's not that simple. Triggers can be hard to minimize and headaches can linger for days or weeks, causing nausea and intense throbbing pain.

Because migraines affect 28 million Americans and we spend more than $13 million annually on prescription meds, researchers continue to look for other treatments. For the last 10 years, the nerve branches in the forehead have been studied to examine how they play a role in migraines. Plastic surgeons have developed a modified version of the forehead lift to deactivate nerve triggers in this region with excellent results.

 In a recent study, which added more validation to this surgical approach, 75 migraine patients were assigned to two groups: 49 received the actual migraine surgery and 26 received a "placebo" surgery. None of the patients were told which group they’d been assigned to.

 Those lucky enough to be chosen for the real surgery had some significant improvements: 83 percent had at least a 50 percent reduction in migraines after a year. And 57 percent reported a full elimination of migraines.

 Interestingly, the placebo treatment group also experienced a 57 percent improvement in symptoms, but none reported a complete disappearance of migraines.

 For anyone who's had a migraine, finding an effective treatment is critical. We are absent from work an average of five days per year, postpone daily personal activities, and often must rely on support from family and friends because of migraine attacks. Medications like Triptans, Midrin, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers may help some individuals.

If you’re trying to identify your triggers, examine gastrointestinal problems you may be experiencing, as these have been associated with migraines. Also, these factors are often common culprits:

 Bright lights, reflected sunlight
Extreme heat
Too much or not enough sleep
Skipping meals
Changes in the weather or barometric pressure
Red wine, chocolate, foods containing MS