A migraine trigger is any event or change, both external or internal, that can result in a migraine – there is no one single migraine trigger and triggers are not the same for everybody. A commonly identified migraine trigger is a change in the weather and according to a new study, migraine sufferers are more sensitive to extreme cold.
Published in the International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, it found that a significant drop in temperature can be a cause. “[People who experience migraines] are more likely to report sensitivity to cold weather compared to people without migraine,” states Dr Sara Crystal, a neurologist and headache specialist. “It’s probably related to dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which affects the blood vessels in the brain and throughout the body.”
It’s not just cold weather that is a possible trigger. Other weather-related triggers include:
Advice to migraine sufferers can include keeping a diary which tracks migraines and helps to determine specific weather triggers. Also making healthy lifestyle choices such as adopting a healthy diet and exercise routine, getting enough sleep and minimising stress, can help sufferers reduce the number and severity of their migraines.
Taking prescribed migraine medication at the first sign of a migraine is important but another potential treatment option is Botox for migraine relief.
In order to diagnose chronic migraine in the NHS, the patient will be referred to a headache clinic and a detailed medical history taken. A patient must suffer a headache on 15 or more days of a month for a period of more than three months and which, on at least eight days a month, has the hallmarks of a migraine headache. The headaches must not have responded to three prior preventative medication therapies.
Unfortunately, NHS migraine clinics typically have waiting lists of over a year, leading many sufferers to search for a qualified medical practitioner that offers private treatment for the relief of migraines with Botox. Youth Doctors offers the only migraine course in the UK and Europe, offering medical practitioners the opportunity to learn cutting-edge techniques and how to treat severe migraines.
Call 0790 0583 898 to find out more information about our courses.
