Trigger factors differ from person to person as intensity and frequency of
occurrence of migraine attacks also differ from person to person.
Nevertheless, a few common triggers are:
¾ Tiredness and exhaustion
¾ Stress from physical and environmental factors
¾ Over-illumination or glare
¾ Missing meals or fasting
¾ Excessive or lack of Sleep
¾ Changes in atmospheric pressure
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¾ Changes in altitude
¾ Loud unusual noises and strong smells and scents
¾ Intense physical activity, including sexual activity
¾ Hormonal changes
¾ Birth control pills
¾ Menstrual cycles
¾ Alcoholic beverages
¾ Chocolate
¾ Excess of caffeine
¾ Specific medications or food items affecting diameter of the blood vessels
¾ Specific foods containing additives
¾ Allergic food items
Doctors and researchers assert that the effect of dietary factors is more often
subjective. Some dietary components precipitate a migraine attack while some
others play no role at all.
Some foods which may be linked to migraines are:
¾ Hot dogs and pizza as they contain processed meat, fish, and nitrates
¾ Aged cheese, bread and crackers containing cheese
¾ Sourdough bread
¾ Chicken livers
¾ Alcoholic beverages like red wine
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¾ Dark chocolate
¾ Citrus fruits
¾ Aspartame (artificial sweetener)
¾ Caffeine
¾ Monosodium glutamate - This is an additive with natural and artificial
forms, that is commonly present in canned foods, Chinese food,
seasonings (like soy sauce) and tenderizers.
¾ Pickled foods
¾ Brewer's yeast, including fresh yeast, coffee cake, doughnuts
¾ Certain dairy products like buttermilk and sour cream
¾ Excess of onions
¾ Certain fruits like papaya and passion-fruit
¾ Preserved or marinated foods like olives
¾ Some snack foods
¾ Peanuts
¾ Broad beans, peas, lentils
Doctors normally advise you to stay away from such trigger foods and factors for
a considerable time. You can then try to eat these foods after a gap of a month
or more to help you better understand the extent and effect of such trigger
factors. You cannot ascribe any single factor as the apparent reason for such a
trigger. It could be combination of several factors.
However, dietary restrictions do not in any way reduce or eliminate a migraine
attack. You can probably reduce the intensity. Nevertheless, the major triggers
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are missing meals, excessive caffeine and intake of alcohol. The best option to
lessen the impact and frequency of migraine attacks is to moderate your body
functions. Follow a regular pattern of exercise, have timely meals with adequate
rest and try to lead a stress free life.
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7. What is the Real Cause of Migraine Headaches?
There are no clear medical reports to pinpoint any particular cause for migraine
headaches. However, the majority opinion favors changes in blood flow to the
brain. Normally, migraine patients have very sensitive blood vessels.
How Does it Happen?
Any stressful event affects your brain. This occurs mainly due to the
concentration of innumerable nerves in the arteries at the base of the brain.
Stress causes seizure or contraction of most of these nerves. This, in turn,
affects the functioning of the arteries carrying blood to the brain. Therefore, your scalp and arteries of your neck suffer from reduced blood supply.
So, your brain also receives less blood. The brain immediately senses some
danger, and that leads to the formation of blood clotting platelets. Serotonin is a chemical substance released during this process. This substance further restricts
the supply of blood to arteries and brain.
Lower blood supply leads to a lesser supply of oxygen to the brain. Lack of
oxygen causes unclear vision and/or speech, headache and other symptoms,
similar to those of a nervous breakdown.
A cyclic reaction takes place among the other arteries of the body. They widen to
carry more blood to the brain. However, such widening releases prostaglandins
from different blood cells and tissues. These prostaglandins are pain-causing
substances and lead to swelling and inflammation. The widening and resultant
inflammation causes the throbbing sensation. This sensation is primarily felt as
migraine headaches.
This shows that migraine headaches are primarily a neurological disorder. The
first affliction is in the nerves, which triggers a series of reactions and
counteractions in other body systems. Hence, you experience certain changes
and imbalances before the onset of migraine pain in the head.
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Such factors could start up to twenty-four hours before the migraine. Another
factor supporting this theory is that the effects of migraine headaches persist
even after the headache ceases. You feel a tender and uncomfortable feeling in
your head and it takes some time for you to recoup your previous thinking
power.
A drop in serotonin levels leads to the release of neuropeptides by the trigeminal nerve. These neuropeptides dilate blood vessels, causing inflammation. Inflamed
blood vessels seem to hit across your head; this is the throbbing pain you feel
during a migraine attack.
Other Factors
There are various other migraine headache triggers too, such as the hormonal
changes in women during their menstrual cycles. This sets off migraine
headaches before or after periods. They sometimes also occur during pregnancy
and menopause. Women on birth control pills get more migraines.
Certain food items, additives and vegetable or fruits could also cause sensory
changes in your body leading to migraines. Environmental changes, medications,
irregular sleep and eating patterns are other major contributors.
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8. Risk Factors
Estimates say that more than thirty million Americans suffer from migraines.
Approximately 1/3 are male and the rest are female.
Risk factors include anything that induces or increases the chances of affliction of any disease or particular medical condition.
Major Risk Factors.
Certain major risk factors for the incidence of a migraine are:
Hormonal fluctuations: Hormones are most active in women between twenty
and fifty. Constant fluctuations occur in progesterone and estrogen levels during
this period. These changes bring the risk of migraines and may decide their
severity too.
Similarly, the premenstrual and postmenstrual time is a risky period for a
migraine to occur. Pregnant women experience migraines in the initial stages.
Women on birth control pills or hormone replacement therapies have a higher
risk of incidence of a migraine, not only during the normal course, but also
during pregnancy and menstruation.
Lack of Sleep or Sleep Apnea: Irregular and insufficient sleep patterns,
insomnia or excessive sleep are all contributing factors.
Depression: Anxious thoughts, pessimism and mental disturbances hamper
normal functioning of your nervous system and brain. This triggers a chain of
reactions in other body systems leading to severe headaches. Such depression
also causes grinding and clenching of teeth.
Arthritis: Wrong posture can lead to arthritis in the neck muscles. This upsets the regular supply of blood and oxygen to the brain causing migraines.
Irregular Meals: Skipping meals, fasting and having food at odd times of the day disrupts body functioning. Your body is unable to receive the necessary
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energy for functioning. A lack of sufficient nutrition at proper intervals leads to migraines.
Specific Food Additives and Nitrates: Certain foods contain monosodium
glutamate (MSG) or nitrates. These may trigger migraine headaches.
Alcohol: Red wine is a major cause for a migraine.
Stress: Excessive physical stress, including increased sexual activity and mental exhaustion, can trigger migraines.
Medications: Certain medications causing dilation of blood vessels can bring the risk of a migraine. Daily use of headache remedies is another major risk factor.
Hereditary: Hereditary genes could cause migraines. If either or both parents have migraines, there is every possibility of the offspring developing a migraine
at some or other time in their lives. This could be due to certain genetic
problems in blood vessel regulation.
Perfumes and Strong Scents: These trigger certain involuntary reactions
within your body which may pre-dispose you to develop migraines.
Excessive lights and sound: Blaring noise and bright lights increase activity of your nerve cells triggering headaches.
Physical changes in environment: Higher altitude with marked changes in
weather or time zone could lead to upsets in your body systems, triggering
migraine headaches.
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9. Who Gets Migraine Headaches?
Migraine headaches show greater incidence among certain categories of people.
The occurrence of a migraine does not follow any specific pattern. Nevertheless,
a generalized pattern stems from the frequency of its occurrence. Migraine
headaches occur commonly in the following categories:
Age: A migraine occurs between the ages of ten and forty. Although the
incidence of a migraine decreases after forty, late life migraines may develop in a very few cases; about one percent of the population. Similarly, very young
children and infants also suffer from migraines, but the percentage is very low.
Genetic: Repeat from an earlier reference. Genes play a major role in your migraine. If either or both parents have migraine problems, there is every
possibility for you to develop a pattern of migraines.
Ethnic Differences: According to a worldwide study, migraines are most
common in North America, with lesser incidences in South America, Europe, Asia,
and Africa. However, doctors think genetic causes are responsible, and place less
importance on environmental factors.
Gender: Women are at a higher risk to suffer from a migraine across the world.
The percentage remains the same among boys and girls during childhood but the
percentage of incidence is much greater in girls after puberty.
Hormone Fluctuations in Women: The hormonally-active years of women
between adolescence and menopause experience the maximum fluctuations in
the hormones; estrogen and progesterone. This triggers a migraine in many
women. Similarly, pregnant women, women on contraceptives (or hormone
replacement therapies) and menstruating women experience migraines.
Medical Conditions: Specific infections like peptic ulcers due to bacteria H.
pylori and allergies can cause a migraine. Asthmatic patients suffer migraines
and could pass it on to their children. Epileptic patients have a greater chance of a migraine as they already suffer from nerve disorders. Fibromyalgia patients
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suffer from intense muscular pain and resultant fatigue. Excessive muscular
fatigue could also trigger a migraine.
Personality Traits: Although a migraine afflicts women more than men,
apparently strong-willed and conscientious women do not suffer from the
onslaught of a migraine. Weak women with a submissive personality have a
higher risk of a migraine.
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10. Migraine Headaches in Children
Migraines affect children too. It could start from the age of seven or ten. It
affects boys and girls equally. However, boys outgrow a migraine in their
adolescence while girls experience them with greater frequency and intensity due
to hormonal changes.
Children are often unable to express any symptoms of a migraine. Therefore, if
headaches occur weekly or occur regularly, it is best to consult a doctor to
determine the specific causes. Very young children unable to express migraine
headache pain could just hold their heads in their hands and cry. Nevertheless,
there is no specific rule or guideline to predict occurrence and presence of a
migraine in your child.
Causes
A migraine in children is predominantly a hereditary feature. There are other
contributing factors too, like:
Excessive noise and light: Bright light and loud noises, like those of movies on television, could trigger a migraine. Environmental changes and strong odors
may also cause a migraine.
Emotional disturbances: School problems, peer pressure and parental
expectations cause high stress and anxiety levels in children. Depression sets in
and leads to sad and lonely feelings and thoughts, sometimes causing a
migraine.
Viral Infections: Viral infection in any part of the body like nose, urinary tract, or lungs could cause fever and associated headaches. Sometimes, these
headaches assume the form of a migraine.
Brain Tumors and Meningitis: A brain tumor is a rare occurrence in children.
However, migraines occur with increased frequency as the tumor grows. The
location of the tumor also decides the severity of a migraine. Meningitis is an
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inflammatory condition affecting the nervous system. Pressure on the brain
increases and therefore, leads to severe headaches and migraines.
Common Infections: Common infections like eye infections, ear infections, and sinus among others trigger headaches. Such headaches could become a regular
feature and assume the form of a migraine.
Head trauma: Children often suffer accidental bumps on their head. Although such headaches do not persist, headaches can occasionally graduate into
frequent instances of a migraine. Such injuries also cause nausea, confusion,
vomiting or changes in consciousness or response time.
Specific foods and beverages: Specific foods like bologna, bacon and hot dogs contain monosodium glutamate or MSG. This causes headaches in some people.
Similarly, certain beverages like chocolate, caffeine, and soda also are believed
to sometimes trigger migraines.
Lack of Sleep: Insufficient sleep causes overtiredness and may lead to
migraines.
Excessive exposure to sun: Playing for long hours in hot sun could trigger a migraine.
Symptoms
Migraines in children could be with or without an aura. Flashing lights, blind spots in vision, wavy lines with disrupted vision may appear before and signal the
arrival of a migraine within few hours. Some children experience these indicators
with stomach pain before an abdominal migraine.
A migraine without aura is most common among children. Symptoms include
nausea, vomiting, giddiness, fatigue, mood changes, special cravings for foods
and sugary snacks, or a loss of appetite. Your child could develop a fever of 102
to 103 degrees and diarrhea too. Your child could also lose his/her sense of
balance.
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Preventive Measures
Assure adequate rest, with eight to ten hours of deep sleep and proper intake of
food at correct timings, for your child. Maintain a headache diary with details of their time, frequency, and place of occurrence. Avoid stressors and cultivate a
healthy balance in your child’s life.
Treatments
Always consult your doctor and give the prescribed medicines in appropriate
dosages to your child. You could help them to develop certain behavioral
patterns and changes to lower stress levels and develop a balanced life pattern.
Professional and peer counseling could work fine for curing stress-related
migraine problems. Do not take migraine problems in your children lightly.
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11. Recent Research on Migraine Headaches
The length, severity and frequency of occurrence of a migraine depend on an
individual’s conditions. These features also differ from attack to attack. You need proper treatment, not only during a migraine attack but also after that, to
prevent further attacks or lower impact of future attacks.
Different professional and consumer medical organizations are conducting
regular and detailed research into the possible causes, and ways to lower the
intensity and occurrence, of a migraine. Healthcare professionals, from across
different strata and disciplines, are joining hands to conduct effective research
and providing better remedies.
Recent Research Findings
The National Headache Foundation conducted a ten-year study on the prevalence
of migraine headaches in the United States. The report was released at the 13th
Annual Conference of the Diamond Headache Clinic Research and Education
Foundation on February 22, and contained about 2000 submitted details of
studies between 1989 and 1999.
The report clearly indicates that migraine sufferers continue to suffer and bear
their severe headaches despite developments in medicine. The major problem,
often, is a misdiagnosis of migraine headaches as sinus headaches and
administration of relevant medication. Hence, migraine sufferers often do not
receive proper treatment and continue to suffer.
Implantable Neurotransmitter
Many migraine sufferers could well be in sight of a suitable remedy for their
migraine headaches. Recently, researchers developed an implantable
neurotransmitter. Although these devices are on their clinical trials at this
writing, such devices could be of immense help to patients who suffer severe
migraines who cannot bear the side-effects of prevalent medications and do not
have any favorable response to available therapies.
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Boston Scientific has now put up a Precision Implantable Stimulator for migraines
(PRISM) on a trial basis. Roger Cady, M.D., Director of Clinvest and the
Headache Care Center in Springfield, MO, is upbeat about the possible positive
impact of the device on the lives of migraine-affected people that find no respite from their migraine despite using various conventional therapies.
However, presently, a precision neuro stimulation system is in use for treatment
of intractable chronic pain of trunk and limbs. Hence, usage for a migraine is still in the early investigation stage.
Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health in California conducted a clinical study to find if a high-complex carbohydrate diet could provide relief from migraine attacks. The result of such a diet was astounding. More than 94% of
the patients reported a 40% decrease in their headaches. Fifty percent of the
patients reported total freedom from the debilitating pain. The perceived
improvements seemed mostly to be about the intensity, frequency, duration and
the need for medication to treat migraines which reduced up to 70%, according
to reports.
The Loma Linda University was the first to treat a migraine with changes in a
person’s lifestyle. Dietary changes reduced blood-fat levels considerably. This
helped to restore the necessary biochemical balance in the body. Further
research and tests could confirm whether or not this therapy might be confirmed
as a method of preventing migraine attacks.
Many television and radio stations, popular magazines like Women's Health
Today, Men’s Health, Glamour, Allure and others reported the findings of the
study. They also carried detailed reports about the specific diets that they
reported as providing relief to many migraine sufferers across the world.
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Part-III: Diagnosis of Migraine Headaches
12. How to Diagnosis Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches occur due to a variety of causes. Doctors and physicians
follow a set pattern for diagnosis of a migraine. The very first step is to look for hereditary factors. Doctors often advise chronic headache patients to maintain a
diary to record the time and specific features of their headache.
You have to give details of:
¾ Time of occurrence of headache; both the dates and time of day too
¾ Type of pain; whether it is throbbing, splitting, mild or unbearable
¾ Location of the pain; on one side of the head or all over the head
¾ Accompanying symptoms; nausea, vomiting, giddiness, pain in the
muscles
¾ Duration of the headache; an hour, few hours, or few days
¾ Frequency of occurrence; fortnightly, monthly, intermittently, or during specific periods like menstrual cycle
¾ Place of occurrence; indoors or outdoors
¾ Proximity to any strong odors or