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Causes of Migraine Headaches

Not only are migraine headaches one of the most painful health problems around, they are one of the least understood. Within the last several decades though, some researchers

believe they have at least deciphered the causes of the headache.

Scientists now believe that actual function changes in the trigeminal nervous system may trigger migraine headaches. This is a major pain pathway of your nervous system. When imbalances in your brain�s chemicals occur, then a migraine headache appears.

During a migraine headache, these researchers tell us, the level of your serotonin drops. The lowered quantity of this neurotransmitter causes the trigeminal nerve to release neuropeptides. These travel to the outer covering of your brain which in turn trigger the dilatation and inflammation of your blood vessels. And that�s the immediate cause of the migraine.

What triggers this chain reaction, though, varies from person to person. In some individuals for example, hormonal changes trigger the flare up of a migraine headache. Science is yet unsure why this should be, but it appears that the natural fluctuations in estrogen in some women cause migraines.

Women whose headaches are hormonally based usually report migraines either immediately before or during their menstrual periods. This corresponds to the time period when a woman�s estrogen level has dropped considerably. Other women, though, may develop migraines during pregnancy or in their menopausal years. Women also discover that if they use birth control pills or get hormone replacement therapy, the migraines may get worse.

In quite a few individuals, eating certain foods seems to bring on a migraine headache. The most common offenders are just about any kind of alcohol, but the two major culprits are beer and red wine. Many individuals soon discover that their food triggers include aged cheeses, chocolate, any foods that are fermented pickled or marinated and in some instances even caffeine.

Others say that ingestion of aspartame � the sugar substitute � or monosodium glutamate, a popular ingredient in some Asian foods, also cause migraine headaches. Still others say that if they skip a meal or try to fast they develop a migraine headache.

Stress can also contribute to a migraine headache, experts explain. Some people say they have �weekend migraines.� These occur after they�ve been bombarded with continual stress all week at work. When the weekend arrives and their bodies actually have a chance to relax, then the migraine occurs. But others say that the appearance of stress alone can also prompt the appearance of a migraine.

Another cause of migraine headaches for some people is certain sensory stimuli. It�s not unusual for some individuals to complain that bright lights and the sun glare to produce head pain. In others, migraines can be caused by the exposure to unusual smells. Some people develop this type of headache when exposed to such smells as paint thinner or even second hand smokes.

Curiously, the smells don�t necessarily have to be offensive odors to produce pain. Many individuals say that certain perfumes or the smell of certain flowers can trigger the migraine.

A migraine headache may also be triggered by intense physical exertion � even sexual activity � a change in weather conditions, the transitional climate changes from one season to next even fluctuations in the barometric pressure.

And in some instances, people have been complained their migraine headaches have actually gotten worse when they take certain prescribed medications.

Note: Some statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice.

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