Migraine headaches are incredibly painful and cannot be fully understood until they have been experienced by a person themselves. Up to 15% of all Americans claim to have suffered at the hands of migraine headaches and for those that are new to them, you must understand how to get through them.

The first thing you need to do when you feel the onset of a migraine headache is to find yourself a nice, quiet and dark room. Close the curtains in this room and get rid of any distractions such as the television or radio and get a small bucket. Even the tiniest of noises can make migraine headaches worse, so being around people and noises will make the situation worse. This is why the television should be turned off and the windows closed to prevent any noise from getting in from the outside world.

The curtains or drapes will need to be closed as bright lights can greatly interfere with migraine headaches making them considerably worse. This is also another reason for the television being turned off as the lights from the television can hurt your eyes and your head even further.

The bucket is there for you should you need to vomit. Migraine headaches are very often accompanied by bursts of nausea and vomiting. All movements will feel like a major strain on your resources so the less you need to move, the better.

Make sure you turn the phone off and make the other people in your home aware that you are having a migraine headache and this will stop them making an undue noise or disturbing you when you least need it. If you are expecting visitors, call them or get someone else to call them and let them know. The last thing you will want is visitors at this painful time.

Your doctor may have prescribed you medication to help you better deal with migraine headaches and if this is the case, take them at this point with a glass of water and make sure the glass of water is near you at all times. Migraine headaches can go on for hours and even days and you don't want to make the situation worse by being dehydrated, which is a major cause for regular headaches.

When migraine headaches attack and you do not have access to prescribed medication, try and look for some pain relievers that can help to lessen the pain. You may find that a warm or cold ice pack may work, so try both of these options, and rest the icepack across the area of the head that is the most painful, or try resting it on the back of your head which can work as well.