 |
|
What are the causes and risk factors of migraine?
Migraine awareness is high, and recent medical research indicates that migraines are caused by inherited mutations in genes which control brain activity. Migraines usually develop before the age of 40 and occur more commonly in women than men and in Caucasians more than in African Americans or Asians. Migraine incidence in children is equal in boys and girls, but migraines become three times more common in girls than in boys during adolescence, possibly due to hormonal effects.
Migraine onset begins with the release of serotonin, which can be triggered by stress, particular foods, sensations, medications, or hormone levels. For instance, migraines are induced in some people by glaring light, smells, or noise, or by emotional stress. In addition, lack of sleep, hypoglycemia caused by skipped meals, alcohol (especially red wine), excessive exercise, changes in altitude or weather, or MSG, nitrate, or tyramine-containing foods trigger migraine headache onset in some people. Women's issues of heightened stress perception and cyclic hormonal fluctuations may account for the increased incidence in women. Medications such as birth control pills, drugs that dilate blood vessels or alter brain blood flow (for example, nitroglycerin, antihypertensives, anti-inflammatories, or bronchodilators), or chronically used head pain remedies can cause migraine headache.
| |
< previous
|
home |
next >
|
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and does not serve as a replacement for care provided by your own personal health care team. This website does not render or provide medical advice, and no individual should make any medical decisions or change their health behavior based on information provided here. All pertinent content provided on this website should be discussed with your personal physician to evaluate whether it has any relevance to or impact on your specific condition. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.
|
|
|
.gif)
