Triggers Are Not The Only Concern

Migraine triggers can play a role in the setting off of a migraine attack. When a migraine prone individual comes into contact with one of the migraine triggers that he or she is sensitive to a chain reaction occurs. A migraine trigger is an environmental and or physiological upset that sets the stage for a migraine to develop. A migraine headache is when the blood vessels in the brain begin to enlarge or expand creating painful and limiting symptoms to create havoc in the brain and to the body.

Not every migraine sufferer will is effected by every migraine trigger but knowing what the migraine triggers are can help migraine patients avoid interacting with them as well as know when to implement a treatment so as to avoid a negative reaction.

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
  • Aged   cheese
  • 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.

Migraine Risk Factors

Though migraine triggers play a huge role in setting the stage for a migraine attack, migraine triggers are not the only concern a migraine prone individual has. Risk factors are another concern and one that should be carefully looked at. Risk factors place people in a higher category to be more migraine prone.

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.

Finding relief from migraine pain can be done through the help and guidance of a medical professional. A medical professional can help steer migraine sufferers toward finding a migraine relief that is both safe as well as effective.

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