Headache Care Center: Risk Factors

Influences in a person's life that tend to overload the nervous system are “risk factors”. Once identified, you can counteract the negative effects of risks with the positive results of protective activities.
1. Risk factors include anything that lowers your threshold to migraine
2. What once was thought to “trigger” a migraine is more easily understood as a “risk factor” for migraine
3. Some people have sensitivity to certain odors or chemicals that may cause the onset of a migraine
4. The more risk factors at work at any given time increase your risk for developing a migraine. For example, you have a cold, you are tired, you are under a lot of stress at work, and you have pizza and red wine for dinner. When you combine these factors, the threshold for a migraine is lowered, and you are more likely to develop a migraine. However, if you are rested and your stress is under control, that pizza and wine may not cause a migraine.

Examples of Risk Factors
Dietary: MSG, red wine
Hormonal: menstruation
Physical: injury or over-exertion
Biological: lack of sleep or too much sleep
Chemical: drugs or air pollution
Sensory: glaring lights or strong odors, such as perfume
Emotional: loss, death, argument, fear
Trauma: emotional or physical

Risk factors can be minimized by following simple lifestyle changes, including regular exercise, eating a balanced diet which includes eating a source of protein at each meal, eating at regular times and not skipping breakfast, practicing stress management techniques such as biofeedback and deep breathing, drinking 8 glasses of water a day, obtaining restful sleep, and keeping a headache diary to identify risk factors and monitor treatment outcomes.