What causes migraine?
The cause is not clear. One theory is that blood vessels in parts of the brain go into spasm (become narrower) which may account for the aura. The blood vessels may then dilate (open wide) soon after, which may account for the headache. The blood vessels then gradually return to normal. This is not the whole story, and it is now thought that some chemicals in the brain increase in activity in addition to any blood vessel changes. It is not clear why people with migraine should develop these changes. However, something may 'trigger' a change in your brain to set off a migraine attack.
Migraine is not a strictly inherited condition. However, it often occurs in several members of the same family. So, there may be some genetic factor involved which makes you more prone to developing migraine.
What are triggers?
Most migraine attacks occur for no apparent reason. However, something may trigger migraine attacks in some people. Triggers can be all sorts of things. For example:
- Diet. Dieting too fast, irregular meals, cheese, chocolate, red wines, citrus fruits, and foods containing tyramine (a food additive).
- Environmental. Smoking and smoky rooms, glaring light, VDU screens or flickering TV sets, loud noises, strong smells.
- Psychological. Depression, anxiety, anger, tiredness, etc.
- Medicines. For example, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), some sleeping tablets, and the contraceptive pill.
- Other. Periods (menstruation), shift work, different sleep patterns, the menopause.
It may help to keep a migraine diary. Note down when and where each migraine attack started, what you were doing, and what you had eaten that day. A pattern may emerge, and it may be possible to avoid one or more things that may trigger your migraine attacks.
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debragoodwin, about 1 year
yes i found it helpfull and it was intresting to see all the other comments
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