Use your Migraine.com account
Log in with Facebook
Log in with Google
Log in with Yahoo!
Highlights
Stress
Hormones
Certain food and drink
Alcohol and drug consumption
Physical activity
Sexual activity
Environmental factors (weather, allergies, etc)
Migraine triggers: an introduction
A migraine trigger is anything that contributes to a migraine attack. Triggers increase the risk of the migraine attack occurring, although migraine triggers do not cause the migraine disorder in individuals. However, in a person who already suffers from migraines, certain triggers can bring on migraine attacks.
Different people have different triggers, therefore what may lead to a migraine attack in one person may not cause any discomfort in another. Also, the same triggers may not lead to a migraine each time.
Triggers, which are sometimes called precipitating factors, can lead to a migraine attack when the sufferer is exposed to them or during withdrawal of the factor. (For example, sleep can be a trigger if a person gets too much or too little). Triggers are thought to cause a series of events in the brain of migraine sufferers which leads to migraine symptoms.
One study showed that environmental factors, particularly weather and weather changes were the most common trigger. More than 82 percent of 120 patients reported that weather was a trigger, while 67 percent pointed to stress and 51 percent blamed hormones.
Managing migraine triggers
The best way to manage migraine triggers is to build your own personal migraine triggers list. To develop your list, you must first keep a migraine journal that lists detailed information on each and every migraine attack. You’ll be able to notice a pattern once you start writing down when your migraines occur, what you were doing before each attack, how long the attack lasts and information on your symptoms. Keeping your migraine journal will help you learn what situations or factors lead to a migraine attack, so that you might avoid them or at least begin treatment in the early stages of an attack.
What are common migraine triggers?
- Stress
- Hormones
- Certain food and drink
- Alcohol and drug consumption
- Physical activity
- Sexual activity
- Environmental factors (weather, allergies, etc)
- Sleep patterns
- Missing meals
- Certain smells
Written by: Otesa Miles / Reviewed by: John-Claude Krusz, PhD, MD | Last review date: November 2010. Click the References Link below for a complete list of references.
Did you enjoy this article?
Read more just like it! Subscribe to the Migraine.com weekly and receive the latest migraine news and headlines, right in your inbox.
Find the information you're looking for
There are over 1,000 articles and stories on Migraine.com - but we have the tools you need to find the information most relevant to you.Trigger factors of migraine and tension-type headache: experience and knowledge of the patients; J Headache Pain; Wober; 2006
"I had my first migraine when I was 12. I thought I was going blind, the spots in my vision all grouped together and everything went black. The pain was intense and felt like my head would crack open above my right eye." 
Do you have migraines or tension-type headaches 15 or more days a month? Get the information and tools you need.
Download the free Migraine.com app for your phone and access your journal, headlines and more.