People at risk

• The women. Migraines affect almost 3 times more women than men. Two-thirds of women affected by this disease suffer more from it during their periods. Hormonal fluctuations, especially the drop in sex hormones at the end of the menstrual cycle, can help trigger seizures.

remarks:

• During pregnancy, migraines tend to decrease in intensity from the second trimester;
• Migraine attacks are more severe after puberty and often go away with menopause. In addition, in some women, migraines appear at menopause;

• People whose parents suffer or have suffered from migraines, especially in the case of migraine with aura (the risk is multiplied by 4)⁴⁰;
• People who have inherited a deficiency in a gene, which predisposes to hemiplegic migraine. This familial form of hereditary migraine is rare. It is characterized by prolonged paralysis of only one part of the body.

Risk factors

The following factors are known to trigger migraine attacks. They vary from person to person. Everyone should learn to recognize the things that cause their migraine, to avoid them as much as possible.

Non-food triggers

Different order factors personnel ou environmental have been identified as triggers by people who suffer from migraine. Here are a few.

• The stress;
• Relax after a period of stress (migraine occurring at the start of the holidays, for example);
• Hunger, fasting or skipping meals;
• A change in sleep patterns (sleeping later than usual, for example);
• A change in atmospheric pressure;
• Bright light or loud noises;
• Exercising too much or not enough;
• Perfume, cigarette smoke, or unusual smells;
• Various medications, including pain relievers used too frequently and oral contraceptives in some cases.

Food-borne triggers

About 15% to 20% of people with migraine report that some foodstuffs are the source of their crises. The most commonly cited foods are:

• Alcohol, especially red wine and beer;
• Caffeine (or lack of caffeine);
• Aged cheeses;
• Chocolate;
• Yogurt;
• Fermented or marinated foods;
• Monosodium glutamate;
• Aspartame.

Obviously, knowing more about the foods that trigger migraines is a natural and logical way to reduce the frequency of attacks. On the other hand, this approach requires more effort and discipline, in particular because it is necessary to discover the problematic foods. To do this, holding a migraine diary is certainly a good starting point (see Prevention section). It may also be helpful to see a nutrition specialist.