Trigger factors in migraine patients

BACKGROUND: Migraine is a chronic neurological disease with several trigger factors, including dietary, hormonal and environmental factors. PURPOSE: To analyse precipitating factors in a sample of migraine patients. METHOD: Two hundred consecutive migraine patients were interviewed about possible trigger factors for migraine attacks. RESULTS: Most patients showed at least one dietary trigger, fasting was the most frequent one, followed by alcohol and chocolate. Hormonal factors appeared in 53% , being the pre-menstrual period the most frequent trigger. Physical activities caused migraine in 13%, sexual activities in 2.5% and 64% reported emotional stress a trigger factor. 81% related some sleep problem as a trigger factor. Regarding environmental factors, smells were reported by 36.5%. CONCLUSION: Trigger factors are frequent in migraine patients, its avoidance may decrease headache frequency and also improve patients' quality of life.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Fukui,Patrícia Timy, Gonçalves,Tessa Rachel Tranquillini, Strabelli,Cintia Giunchetti, Lucchino,Natalia Maria Fernandes, Matos,Fernanda Cunha, Santos,Juliana Pinto Moreira dos, Zukerman,Eliova, Zukerman-Guendler,Vera, Mercante,Juliane Prieto, Masruha,Marcelo Rodrigues, Vieira,Domingos Sávio, Peres,Mario Fernando Prieto
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Academia Brasileira de Neurologia - ABNEURO 2008
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2008000400011
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!