More than a billion people across the globe experience and live with migraine headaches. The National Institutes of Health says 14% of the population experiences migraines, and that number includes 40 million people in America alone.

People who regularly experience migraines know that an attack is rarely just a headache.

A migraine is a complicated neurological event that often features a host of symptoms that may vary depending on the person.

Recent data from the Global Burden of Disease study confirms that migraines remain the leading cause of disability among neurological disorders.

The Migraine Science Collaborative says research has moved from viewing migraine triggers as isolated events and instead focuses on the several small factors that may stack up until a migraine sets in. Recognizing what can lead to an attack may help people get faster relief.

• Gender: SingleCare says women are three times more likely to suffer migraines than men. While gender isn’t a trigger, it is a risk factor for women.

• Stress: Pfizer says more than 70% of migraine sufferers cite stress as a major trigger for migraine. Often the cooling off period after a stressful event is when the attack strikes.

• Hormones: Wild shifts in the female hormones estrogen and progesterone, particularly during menstruation and perimenopause, account for a significant percentage of migraine attacks, says Alloy Health. Many women may find significant relief once they reach post-menopause and their hormones stabilize.

• Weather: An upward trend in migraine severity is linked to extreme heat and rapid barometric pressure changes, suggests National Geographic.

• Surprisal score: A surprisal score is a measure of how much daily experiences deviate from a person’s typical routine, according to the JAMA Network. Those with a higher surprisal score may find an increased, short-term migraine risk. For example, drinking a glass of wine per day may not impact migraine, but having several drinks in a day may cause a rise in migraine odds within a certain period afterward.

• Sleep disturbances: Pfizer says too little sleep and too much can disrupt the brain’s homeostatic balance and contribute to a migraine.

• Foods and beverages: Food- and beverage-related triggers are subjective. But foods and beverages like aged cheeses, processed meats, red wine, artificial sweeteners, MSG, and caffeine may trigger a migraine, indicates Geisinger Health.