JessicaThompson

Mr.Conrad
ERWCPeriod3
May12th2016
WhatcausesMigraines?
Whattriggersmigraines?Andifweknowwhatcausesthem,howcantheybeprevented?
Sincethebeginningoftime,manypeoplehavesufferedfromthesedebilitatingheadaches,and
manyarestilllookingforthecauseofthem.Infact,Migrainesaffectasmanyas24million
peopleintheUnitedStates,andareresponsibleforbillionsofdollarsinlostwork,poorjob
performance,anddirectmedicalcosts(Robinson2014).Thecommonmisconceptionaboutthe
burdenofmigrainesisthattheycannotbestopped,butthisreignsuntrue.Ifthepatientscan
narrowdownthetriggersandplantreatmentaccordingly,thenitispossibletoeliminatethe
burden.Throughanalyzingacumulationofstudiesdonebynumerousdoctorsaroundtheworld,
theconclusioncanbemadethatoutofthehundredsofplausiblecauses,thethreethatseemtobe
themostapparentaresleeppatterns,foodanddrinkhabits,andanxietyandstressproblems.
Theykeytopinningdownthecauseofmigrainesisknowingexactlywhattheyareand
whatishappeningtothebraintissueswhenthepainisbeingcaused.Accordingtoscientific
study,amigraineattackisprecipitatedwhenpainsensingnervecellsinthebrain(called
nociceptors)releasechemicalscalledneuropeptidesintothebraintissues(Robinson2014).
Theseneuropeptidescausesuddenmusclerelaxationwhichbeginstodilatethebloodvesselsin
thebrain,thenitcreatesamigraine.Themigrainewillcomeinfourstages,firstistheProdrome.
Thisstagehappensupto24hoursbeforethepainensues,andcanbeidentifiedbyirritability,

withdrawal,anddulledperception.Theissuewithidentifyingthatthebodyismovingintothis
phaseisthatthesymptomsresemblethoseofmanyotherillnesses,andifweknewforsurethat
thiswastheonsetofphaseonethenthemigrainecouldbepreventedaltogether.Phase2iscalled
theAura,whichhappensnormallyaroundonehourbeforetheheadacheandischaracterizedbya
seriesofvisualdisturbancessuchastwinklingspotsoflightandluminousblindspots.This
phaseismucheasierforpatientstodetectbecausethesymptomsaremuchmoreabnormal,but
bythistimetheonsetofpainittooclosetoavoid.Nextcomesthethirdstage:theHeadache.
Thisiswheremostpeoplerealizethattheyarehavingamigrainebecausethesymptomsare
muchmoreapparentsuchasseverepain,irritationtolightandsound,andseverenausea.The
fourthandfinalstageofatruemigraineisthePostdrome,commonlyknownastheheadache
hangover.Thisphasehappensdirectlyaftertheheadpainbeginstosubsideandischaracterized
bymuscleachesandanoveralllethargicfeeling.Itisimportantformigrainepatientstobe
awareofthesephasesbecauseitprovesthatmigrainescanbepreventedbeforethetruepain
actuallystarts.
Thefirstleadingtriggerofmigraineheadachesisfluctuatingsleephabits.Astudydone
atMissouriStateUniversity'sCenterforBiomedical&LifeSciencesshowedthatsleep
deprivation[leads]tochangesinthelevelsofkeyproteinsthatinturnmakepossibleeventsthat
maybringonmigraine(UPINewsTrack2010).Thesekeyproteins,p38,PKA,andP2X3,are
knowntoinitiatechronicpaininthebodywhenlevelsareraisedtoanunhealthyplace,whichis
exactlywhathappenswhennotenoughhoursofREMsleepareachieved.Notonlyare
migrainescausedwhennotenoughsleepishad,butwhentoomuchsleepishadaswell.Studies
showthatpeoplearetakingnapsorusingsleepasawaytotrytocopewithpain,butthatcould

actuallyleadtomoresleepdisturbanceatnight(ConsumerHealthNews2009).Ifthepatients
aresleepingtoomuchduringthedayduetomigraines,theninturntheirsleeppatternatnight
willbedelayedcausingalackofsleepforthecomingday,creatingahigherpossibilityofgetting
aanotherheadache.Thisviciouscycleofcauseandeffectisoneofthemanyreasonswhy
patientscontinuouslygetmigrainesthatlastdaysonend.
Thesecondleadingcauseofmigrainesrelatesbacktothedietaryhabitsthathavebecome
ingrainedinoursocietyoverthelastfewdecades.Oneofthemainingredientsinoureveryday
dietsisgluten,whichisamaintriggerformigraines.Infact,themedicaldirectoratthe
UniversityofMarylandstatesthatroughlyonethirdofglutensensitivepatientsweseehave
someformofmigraineandthatmanypeoplewithmigraines,whentheygoonaglutenfree
diet,themigrainesimproveorgoaway(Marcus2012).Whenthebodyhasahypersensitivityto
gluten,itmakesitsothattheirbodycannotabsorbothervitalnutrientsneededinaneveryday
diet,causingmanyissues,oftentimesmigraines.Anotherpossiblyharmfulingredientthatis
foundinmanycommonfoodsisTyramine.A2012neurologicalstudyshowedTyramine,an
Aminecompoundfoundnaturallyinsomefoods,cancausebloodvesselstodilate,whichcan
beginthecascadetowardsamigraine(CullumDugan2013).ThepaincausedbyTyramine
usuallydoesnotsetinuntildaysafterconsumingitmakingitdifficulttoidentifytheexactfood
thatcausedit,butresearchersdoknowforsurethatthiscompoundispresentinfoodslike
avocados,certainnuts,andoverripefruits.Anothermajorcontributortochronicmigraineis
excessiveconsumptionofsugaryproducts.Whensugardigests,itdehydratesthebody.Thislack
ofhydrationdecreasestheamountoxygenthatgetstothebrain,whichcanresultinamigraine.

Allinall,Foodanddrinkhabits,mainlythoseincludingglutenandsugar,areakeytriggerfor
peoplewhosufferfromchronicmigraines.
Thecauseofchronicheadachescanalsobetracedbacktoahistoryofanxietyand
depression.AccordingtotheAmericanMigraineFoundation,about25%ofpatientswith
migrainehavedepressionandabout50%haveanxiety(Smitherman2016).However,itisa
mysterytomostsuffererswhetherthemigrainesarecausedbyanxietyoriftheythemselveshave
causeditinthefirstplace.Manysaythatsymptomsofthesedisorders[develop]afterliving
withtheburdenofmigraineforlongperiodsoftime(Smitherman2016).Sothepeoplewho
sufferfromchronicheadachesintheiryoungeryearsaremorelikelytodevelopthesemental
disordersinlaterlife.Themostcommonkindofanxietydisorderseeninmigrainesufferersisin
thesocialrealm.Psychologistssaythatthisismostlikelybecausemigraineurs,peoplewith
chronicmigraine,spendasignificantlylongertimeinsolitudeasopposedtopeoplewhodonot
havemigraines.Thissocialisolationcontributestofuturesocialissuesforsufferers.Thetension
inthenervoussystemcausedbyanxietycreatestensionheadaches,contributingtothevicious
cyclethataremigraines.
Whilethelistoftriggersgoesonandon,thereisalsoawidespectrumoftreatments.The
mostcommonismedication.Themostcommontypeofprescriptiongiventopatientsfor
migraineisantidepressants.Infact,migrainespecialistssaythatbecauseneurotransmittersin
thebrainareassociatedwithmigraineattacks,itisbelievedthatantidepressantsimpacttheir
activitywhichmightpreventmigraines(UniversityofMaryland2012).Thisbreakthroughin
treatmentisabletotreatpatientsonamultiissuespectrum,whichhelpsmanysufferersgain
relief.Othertypesofmedicaltreatmentformigrainesincludeacupunctureandbotoxinjections

inthebackoftheneck.Otherpatientsprefertostayonthenaturalsideofthespectrum,using
methodssuchasessentialoilsandmassagetherapytorelaxtensionofthesensestohelpthepain
subside.Eitherway,bothkindsoftreatmentsgivepatientstherelieftheydesire.
Sowhatdoescausemigraines?Therealquestionthatweshouldbeaskingiswhat
doesnt?Whilethereareafewtriggersthataremorecommonamongsufferers,theliststill
remainsendless.Whiletomostthisseemsdiscouraging,thefactisthateventhoughwemight
notknowwhatexactlycausesmigraines,thereisalotwecandotoeffectivelypreventthem.On
theissueofsleeppatterns,allthatneedstobedoneisaregulationofsleeppatterns.When
analyzingthedietissue,remissioncanbeachievedthrougheliminatingmigrainecausingfoods.
Everyonesbodiesaredifferent,sotreatmentwillbedifferentfortheeachindividual.Overall,
thereissomuchthatcanbedoneandifatrueeffortismade,migrainescanbeeliminated
altogether.

WorksCited
CullumDugan,Diana."Whenfoodisaheadache:ifyousufferfrommigraines,someofthe
foodsyoueat,suchascheeseandchocolate,maybeatrigger."
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Marcus,MaryBrophy."MigrainesMoreLikelyforPeopleWithCeliacDisease,StudySays
Earlyresearchalsolinksheadachestoglutenproblems,Crohn'sdiseaseandcolitis."
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Robinson,Richard."Migraineheadache."
TheGaleEncyclopediaofScience
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andBrendaWilmothLerner.5thed.FarmingtonHills,MI:Gale,2014.
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Smitherman,ToddA.,PhD."AnxietyandDepression."
AmericanMigraineFoundation
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AmericanMigraineFoundation,2016.Web.15May2016.

"Usingsleeptomanageheadachesmaycauseinsomniaandthatmayleadtomoreheadaches,
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