Most likely triggered by sensory stimuli, migraines can last for hours—and up to days—if not treated right away. Intense in nature, migraines are recurring throbbing headaches that often occur on one side of the head and are accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
However, despite migraines being the 3rd most prevalent illness in the world, affecting 12 percent of the population, we still don’t know what causes them.
An Overview
Research is still ongoing. But what we do know is that certain triggers—physical, emotional, hormonal, dietary, medicinal or environmental—lead to abnormal brain activity which temporarily affects chemical balance, blood vessels, and nerve signals in the brain—and that causes a migraine.
In order to control and treat these recurring headaches, we must first determine what triggers you’re sensitive to. Possible common triggers may be:
- Light and sounds
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Additives
- Smells
- Medication overuse and/or misuse
- Food
- Dehydration and hunger
- Stress
- Lack of sleep
- Female hormones
- Weather
- Physical activity
Keep in mind, you could be sensitive to a number of the aforementioned triggers, not just one. As such, if you do come across a mode of treatment, it’s important that you ask a neurologist about the prescription treatment first before you begin using it. Remember; “medication misuse” is also a trigger.
Determining a Migraine Trigger
There are more triggers than the ones mentioned above. Simply put, a trigger for a migraine can be anythi
ng that brings on an attack. Not to mention that even with this list can be separated into a number of sub-categories.
For example, let’s say you suspect that an environmental trigger might be to blame for your migraine. But strong smells and bright lights have no effect on you. However, every time you sit in a plane, you get a head-splitting migraine. In this situation, you might be suffering from an environmental trigger and a weather-related trigger since there will be a significant drop in the atmospheric pressure.
Also, if you think that a hormonal trigger might be to blame due to hormone replacement therapy, oral contraceptives or menstruation, you’ll also need to factor in the impact of your lifestyle choices. Whether you’ve been taking on a lot more stress than usual, over-exerting, exercising more, skipping meals, not drinking enough water.
So in a sense, your trigger might not even be what you suspect in the first place.
Seeking Treatment?
Only a certified neurologist who offers migraine treatment can help you determine which triggers can be treated.
Dr. Farzin Pedouim from Movement Help in Huntington Beach, LA offers customized treatment plans for patients with headache disorders. Affiliated with Cedar Sinai, Dr. Farzin Pedouim is also an assistant professor at Loma Linda University.
Book an appointment and talk to the doctor about your headache treatment. And be sure to provide your complete medical history so we can take the right course of action!
