Migraines are terrible experiences and for those unlucky enough to endure them, words can hardly describe the amount of pain and overall state of physical and mental stress that comes along with a migraine. Doctors tell us that migraines - which can last anywhere between 4 and 72 hours - are caused by hyper-active brain cells that determine nerves to release a series of chemicals that in turn irritate the blood vessels on the surface of the brain and cause them to swell.

Migraine treatment depends on how intense and how frequent your migraines are and can center either on pain relief or on prevention, if you're experiencing particularly bad episodes that leave you unable to work for hours, even days at a time. Apart from the unbearable headaches, migraines can also be accompanied by visual disturbances, dizziness, even nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. Under these circumstances, a drug that could not only stop a migraine in its tracks, but also cut the number of attacks and also prevent them from occurring at all would be a true blessing - and apparently, scientists are on the right track.

The new drug, which is still in the experimental phase, is called Tonabersat and is aimed to "turn off" the hyperactive nerves believed to be the main cause of the debilitating headaches. The novelty lies in the fact that Tonabersat works in a completely different way from the drugs that already exist and are widely used on the market. It is part of a new brand of drugs known as "gap junction blockers", which moderate the intensity of the chemical messages that circulate between brain cells. Doctors are hopeful that with further testing they will make sure that this new drug - which stops a migraine in under two hours from its onset and also helps prevent further crises - is safe for mass human consumption and helps patients reclaim their normal lives.