Common Concerns

If you are familiar with how painful a migraine can be then you know how important it is to try to avoid one if at all possible. Trying to avoid a migraine headache is like trying to avoid getting wet in a torrential downpour – nearly impossible, but that does not mean that one cannot properly prepare his or herself for a migraine attack. The best form of attack against a migraine attack is educating you on the various causes of migraine attacks and possible risk factors. Education is the key to learning about migraine and how to effectively live with them.

What Causes Migraine Headaches?

Through clinical studies and research, doctors and scientist have come to understand that though they are unable to pinpoint exact cause’s biological and or environmental events may play a role in the development of a migraine. Migraines can be triggered and if knowledge exists of what triggers the onset of migraine possible migraine prevention could occur. Migraine triggers are what helps set the stage for a migraine to develop and create chaos inside the body. The following are a few of the most common migraine triggers.

• Stress
• Sleep – one’s sleep habits have much to do with migraines, whether it be: sleep deprivation, too much sleep or broken up sleep they are all connected to headaches. Studies have shown that when sleep habits are improved migraine headaches are less current and have shorter duration.
• Fasting – caution should always be had when headache prone individuals take to fasting. A lack of nutrients to the body can reduce blood sugar levels setting off a series of stress-related hormones.
• Hormones – for women who experience migraines once a month around the time of their menstrual may be aware of menstrual migraines and how they can affect functionality. Some women during their monthly cycle lose estrogen and the loss of estrogen sets off a chemical imbalance and the result is a migraine.
• Lighting – lighting has been known to enhance mood and is often used as a mood enhancer however, flashing, bright high intensity and visually stimulating light sources can be a factor in developing painful migraine symptoms.
• Smells – cigarette smoke
• Alcohol – Tyramine is a chemical found in wine that has been proven to activate a migraine quicker than if no alcohol was used.
• Foods
o Aged cheese
o Chocolate
• Caffeine – often used to help improve energy levels can have the reverse effect on headache prone people. Caffeine in small doses may have little effect on migraine sufferers but if overindulgence is had one can expect regular migraines
• Weather – drastic change in weather can have a profound effect on a person and can leave him or her prone or vulnerable to a migraine attack. When there is a drop in barometric temperature the risk rises.

Trying to avoid those things mentioned would be nearly impossible and no way to live so one must learn how to live with their migraines as well as live in their environment.

Migraine Risk Factors

Triggers are not the only concern that migraine prone individuals have there are also the following risk factors to consider as well.
Gender – out of the millions of people that suffer with migraines 18% of the migraine sufferers are women. This statistic is not limited to the United States only but relevant to women across the globe. During childhood or adolescents, the frequencies of migraines between sexes were not that different but a drastic increase in migraine headaches in females become apparent as they neared puberty.

The reason being that as a female enters puberty her hormone levels especially her estrogen levels. It is common for women to complain of migraines during her monthly menstrual, these headaches are often referred to as menstrual migraines.

Age – one’s age can be a risk factor, if you are between the ages of 15 and 55 you are still in an age group where migraine headaches can be common occurrences. During childhood, migraines are less frequent but not nonexistent. Research has shown that children who suffer from migraines typically will grow out of them as they age, unless other factors are involved.

Family Genetics – a rather large statistic says that those individuals that come from a family history of migraine sufferers will most likely be at risk of suffering from chronic migraines as well.

Medical Concerns – men and women that have a history of medical concerns such as depression, anxiety, stroke, epilepsy and high blood pressure are more susceptible to migraines than people who have not suffered with any of the listed medical concerns.

Tags: headaches, migraine attacks, migraine treatment, Migraines, side effects, symptoms, treating migraines, vascular headachce