Health 

Facts About Migraines Few Know About


Many factors can cause migraine, but the exact cause of migraine is yet to be explained by doctors and healthcare practitioners.

Here are some of the possible causes of migraine:

  • alcohol
  • medication overuse
  • lights and sounds
  • stress
  • jet lag and lack of sleep
  • hunger or dehydration
  • foods
  • additives
  • caffeine
  • weather
  • female hormones
  • physical activity

Alcohol

According to the 2008 Brazilian study, alcohol triggers migraine in about 1/3 of people. It is also shown that red wine is likely to trigger migraine faster than white wine as the result shows 19.5 percent trigger in both men and women for red wine and 10.5 percent trigger in both men and women for white wine. Furthermore, the study also shows that red wine triggers migraine in women more than it does to men as the result shows 8 percent for men and 22 percent for women.

Medication overuse

There is no right time to overuse any type of medication but it is more dangerous to over use analgesics and painkiller as because its abuse may cause chronic migraine. The overuse of medications like butalbital, opioids and its likes such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may actually bring about regular migraine.

Analgesics and painkiller are very   effective for the treatment of headache and migraine but its overuse may cause more harm than good. So whenever the adverse effect id noticed, discontinuing with the medication is the necessary thing to do.


Bright lights and loud sounds

Many has said that bright lights and loud sound are triggers of migraine for them and a study by the European neurology has shown that there is a correlation between bright lights, loud sound and migraine.

However, bright lights like sun shine and other light might not be the actual trigger of migraine. It may only be a primary factor while some other factors that actually trigger migraine may be drunkenness, dehydration, deprived sleep among others.

Nevertheless, those that sun lights and bright lights triggers their migraine may get some relief by: wearing hats, sun glasses, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated.

Stress

Stress is one of the main factors that trigger migraine. A study from the Danish researchers has shown that the cause of migraine in majority of people is linked to stress.

Stress could be both physical and psychological. It could come from a strenuous events, achieving new task, and lack of sleep.


Lack of sleep or jet lag

Lack of sleep can cause a lot of health disorder which one of them is migraine. Getting only little or no sleep could cause a sudden migraine attack. Changes in an already programmed work schedule and jet leg are also linked to trigger migraine. The most common sleep disorder is insomnia and it can also lead to anxiety and depression. Also, excessive sleep can also cause migraine too.  

Hunger or dehydration

Though it is uncertain how it happens, but skipping of meals has been associated with migraine. People who skip their meal are likely to have a migraine attack or have it triggered.

Also, the shortage of water and other fluid intake in the body is linked with migraine. People who have migraine are advised to take in a lot of water and other fluids.  This will maintain the body PH and minimized the risk of migraine attack.


Foods

The type of food one eats may actually be a migraine trigger. Some food, cheese, fermented and pickled foods which are high in tyramine amino acid, caffeine and alcohol may be a good trigger of migraine. Everyone with migraine has at least one trigger says a Brazilian study of 2008.

Food additives

Food additives like sweetener, flavor and so on has been shown to trigger migraine in some people. For example, MSG is used to add savory flavor to some foods. Studies have shown that MSG may be linked to causing headache but its relationship is not certain.

Much intake of food additives may trigger migraine and this why it advise to know the makeup of each additive before taking in.


Odd or strong smells

A strong smell can be a migraine trigger for some people. These smells may include perfume, odd control, or even a burning food in the kitchen. During migraine attack, may people zero tolerance for almost any type of smell? This called osmophobia.

Osmophobia is particular to people with migraine headache.

Changes in weather

The atmospheric condition of a place may be a migraine trigger in many people. This is because one’s body system has mastered a particular weather and when that changes, the body reacts through migraine.

A study has shown that thunderstorms and lightening are strong triggers of migraine especially in the women of Ohio and Missouri.


Female hormones

According to the Migraine Research Foundation, the fluctuation of the female sex hormone has a role to play in the trigger of headache and migraine. This is why it said that women are three times more likely to have migraine than men.

In another study, it has been observed that women are likely to have a migraine during menstruation and the use of oral contraceptives is likely to make it worse. Also, pregnancy may trigger migraine in women. 

Physical activity

To some people, it may be surprising to know that exercise can trigger headache. Intense exercise is linked as a trigger of migraine. Many people have left their favorite exercise because each time they finish the exercise; they are faced with severe headache and migraine.

Others have replaced their intense exercise with less strenuous ones because of migraine. Exercise related migraine usually start with neck pain; so was reported by with exercise included migraine.


Takeaway

Migraine attack is a health occurrences or condition that is faced by millions of people round the world. If you experience migraine, it is important to observe what your trigger might me and take note of it.

It may be best to avoid the trigger totally or find a way to manage it. Talking to people who has experienced this condition or are still experiencing it, may be a better way to learn more about it and how to manage it.  Migraine Healthline is our free app where you can ask question, access expert resource and seek advice. It is Android and IOS compactible.

Source: American Migraine Foundation / www.americanmigrainefoundation.org/research