Migraine headache is the second most common type of headache and is found to be three times more common in women than in men. It is a serious neurological disorder that can affect your daily life and cause a great deal of distress. Migraine headache is often accompanied by nausea, fatigue and dizziness and can range from moderate to severe in intensity. The exact causes of migraine headache are unknown but there are various factors that can trigger it.

In order to deal with the disorder and accompanying pain, it is essential for one to understand the various factors and theories that establish a link between migraine and the human body.

Probable Causes of migraine headache:

The root cause of this neurological disorder is unknown but various researches support the theory that migraine is closely associated with thetrigeminal nerve system that plays an important role in triggering a migraine headache. Various functional changes, experience of pain in the nervous system channels and fluctuation in hormones and other chemicals can lead to the development of migraine.

It has been observed that a drop in the level of serotonin, a chemical that regulates pain messages at the nerve synapse leads to headache. This fall in serotonin level causes the trigeminal nerve to release a substance called neuropeptide that travels to the meninges resulting in dialation and inflammation of the blood vessels of the head, thereby causing migraine headache.

Triggers of migraine headache:

While the exact cause of migraine headache is still undiscovered, there are many factors that are known to precipitate it. These include:

Hormonal fluctuation: It has been observed that changes in the level of female sex hormones, particularly estrogen can trigger a headache in women. A drop in estrogen levels is usually seen during menstruation, PMS, pregnancy, postpartum period and menopause. Intake of oral contraceptives can also trigger a migraine headache in women.

Food: Certain foods such as monosodium glutamate, typrmine foods, aged cheeses, chocolates, pickled, fermented and processed foods can cause headache. Fasting or staying hungry can also trigger a migraine headache.

Stressful lifestyle: Increased work pressure and emotional tension can also cause migraine headache. If you work hard for the entire week, you are most likely to develop a condition known as weekend migraine.

Change of environment: Sudden environmental changes such as weather condition, seasonal changes, altitude and barometric pressure can precipitate a migraine.