What Do You Know About Migraine Headaches?

The reason isn't known, but researchers suspect that hormones may be involved.

Keep track of your migraines and write down the things that seem to cause them. Other triggers can include tiredness and weather changes. Food triggers often contain tyramine. This is an amino acid that is linked to migraines. Cheese, onions, and acidic foods are common triggers. Other triggers may include loud noise, bright light, and lack of sleep. Staying away from triggers may reduce your chances of getting a migraine.

Experts believe inherited factors make it more likely for people to have migraines.

Not every person who gets migraines has early symptoms. But those who do may have a change in mood, hyperactivity, sluggishness, tiredness, change in appetite, nausea, or vision changes.

Abortive (symptomatic) medicines can be prescribed by your healthcare provider. They act on certain receptors in both the brain and the blood vessels in the head. This can stop a headache after it starts.

Some people have pain that affects the entire head. But most people complain of pain on 1 side or the other. Not all people have nausea or auras, but these are both common symptoms. An aura is a change in vision or in how you are feeling that warns that a headache is coming.

An aura sometimes occurs before pain begins. If you take medicine right away, you may stop the migraine.

Calcium channel blockers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and hormones are other medicines to prevent migraines. If your migraines don’t happen often, you may take medicine only when needed. Your healthcare provider will choose the best therapy for you.