There are a number of ideas about the cause of migraine headaches ranging from theories involving a genetic component to dietary triggers and weather changes. While the burgeoning field of migraine research continues to shed light on the numerous contributing factors, one point is clear: Migraine is a result of a hypersensitized trigeminal nerve.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "A hypersensitized WHAT?!?!" A hypersensitized trigeminal nerve. It's a nerve in your brain that has two divisions. The first is a motor division that controls the muscles of mastication. These are the muscles involved in chewing, namely the temporalis, masseters, and lateral pterygoids. The second division is a sensory division. Think of it as a sensory map of your head and face. Following me so far?
Picture the trigeminal nerve as a bucket. Throughout the day, your bucket is filled with negative input. This can be in the form of physical pain, mental stress or other negative input. The bucket fills throughout the day and when you sleep, the bucket should drain. Draining the bucket overnight allows you to wake up without pain.

At one time or another we've all experienced the pain of a headache. Sure, some are worse than others and the pain may linger a bit longer in some instances but do you know that a headache is not simply "a headache?" Some may seem to be little more than a nuisance, while others may render us incapacitated for days. Emerging research is even showing that some migraine sufferers are at greater risk for stroke than non-migraineurs.

There are several types of headaches and each one is accompanied by a unique type of pain, whether it be the location or the sensation itself. The contributing factors to the onset of headaches , from teeth clenching to genetic factors can also be unique to each type. As we learn more about the specific causes of sinus, tension, and cluster headaches, as well as migraine, the medical and dental fields are also developing more effective treatments. Read more to see which of these eight headache types fit the description of your headaches.

Offensive standout, Percy Harvin, of the Minnesota Vikings has missed several practices due to severe migraines. Harvin missed one game and a number of practices last season due to these debilitating headaches. His plight has made migraines fodder for water cooler conversations and tweets across the country. Not only has it raised awareness about migraine but also exposed the average Joe's misconceptions about them.

Vikings head coach, Brad Childress spoke for millions when he stated that medically diagnosed migraine "is a thing that none of us have a great feel for. They are so wide-ranging and people report different things. It's different for different people." If you were to take a poll, you'd find that most people mistakenly believe that migraines are just bad headaches. A slew of research has been conducted by physicians and dentists around the globe about the pathophysiology of migraines. Even among researchers, the causes and treatment recommendations vary drastically.