Migraines cause severe throbbing in the head, sensitivity to light, sounds or smells, and are brutally painful. Researchers don’t agree on the number of Americans who suffer from migraines, but official numbers range from 16.2 percent to 22.7 percent. Dr. Wade Cooper, director of the University of Michigan Headache and Neuropathic Pain Clinic, explained that they’re a lot more common than you think.