Location: All over, but typically on one side of the head

How it feels: Throbbing pain accompanied by nausea, vomiting or sensitivity to light and sound. About one-third of people will experience a "classic aura," according to board-certified physician Jeffrey Lazarus, MD, FAAP. This is like a warning signal -- a flash of light, dizziness or nausea -- that occurs anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes before the headache pain.

Headache cause: Your blood vessels are constricting and dilating. As your nerve endings stretch, pain chemicals are released, giving you that hit-by-a-train migraine you dread.

Shortcut to migraine relief: To get rid of a migraine fast, build yourself a migraine panic room -- a dark, quiet place where you can relax and give yourself a break from pain-causing stimuli. "Unfortunately, over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen can often lead to rebound headaches when you suffer from chronic migraines," says Dr. Lazarus. "If you're taking the medication too often and you stop taking it, you'll just be stuck with another headache."

Long-term migraine relief: If your migraine headaches become chronic, meaning you experience debilitating pain multiple times a month for long periods, you may want to consider more creative options. Dr. Lazarus specializes in medical hypnosis, coaching patients to recognize the signs of oncoming migraines and stopping them by creating a focused, empowered state of mind. "There is something we call highway hypnosis," says Dr. Lazarus. "We've all had the experience of driving in the car, thinking deep thoughts, and we miss our turnoff. We're not asleep, we were simply in a highly focused state of mind." Teaching patients how to be in this highly focused state allows them to realize things they could never do before -- mentally putting a "stop sign" on oncoming pain.

Dr. Salvado also recommends Botox treatments for those with chronic migraines (more than 15 days a month warrants Botox treatments). "The whole procedure takes about five minutes. I inject the Botox across the forehead and between the eyebrows. It lasts about three months and often provides drastic migraine relief."

Other types of headaches manifest differently for each individual, meaning some headache causes are harder to trace. "Sometimes you have to take a step back and look at what you did that morning, what you did an hour before your headache, 10 minutes before your headache ... to see what could be causing it," says Dr. Lazarus. "Self-monitoring is extremely important."

Lack of Sleep
For a wondrous few, only three or four hours of sleep a night may be necessary without negative physical side effects, whereas others feel like a train wreck without eight. If you aren't getting enough sleep, you may feel dizzy and dazed with head pain all over. The answer is simple: Get more sleep. "If you're fatigued or going through an especially stressful time, you may have to squeeze in naps during the day so you don't get run down," says Dr. Dean.

Dehydration
"When we're dehydrated, our cells shrink and the volume of the brain decreases," says Dr. Dean. "It causes a tiny but measurable reaction, which leads to headache pain." If you're experiencing a fuzzy, foggy kind of headache that feels like the inside of your brain is trying to push out your ears, think about the last time you hit the water cooler. To prevent headaches you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water per day.

Food Triggers
Occasionally, certain foods like cheese, wine or chocolate (um, so basically all the good ones) can trigger headaches. "These foods contain tyramine, which is produced from protein as food ages," says Dr. Lazarus. If you can't pinpoint a reason for your headaches, try keeping a food diary and look at what you ate before a headache occurred. You may have to cut out some of your favorites. Aged and fermented foods are usually the culprits.