A study has highlighted two factors that dramatically increase the risk of migraines.
Poor sleep and low energy the night before are strong indicators of a painful headache the next morning.
At the same time, a day with a lot of stress or a lot of energy increases the chance of a migraine the next afternoon or evening.
Up to 18 percent of Americans, young and old, suffer from the sharp, pulsating pain of migraines. Chronic patients experience at least 15 attacks per month
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the National Institutes of Health in Maryland said the patterns they found underscore the influence of the circadian rhythm, or the natural cycle of physical and behavioral changes over a 24-hour period.
The findings suggest that maintaining good sleep hygiene – going to bed at the same time every night and making sure you get at least seven and a half hours of sleep – can dramatically reduce the chance of having a migraine attack in the morning.
Some preventative measures a person can take include doing as much as possible to keep stress levels in check, as cortisol has been shown to play a role in causing headaches.
Migraines are generally under-researched and under-diagnosed, leaving many people unable or unwilling to see a doctor, and many doctors unable to recognize the signs of a migraine attack and provide patients with appropriate treatment. to give.
It is estimated that 15 to 18 percent of women and six percent of men still get migraines only about a quarter of it be able to receive a correct diagnosis and treatment.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology NeurologyThe study involved 477 people aged between seven and 84, half of whom had a history of migraines.
They were asked to keep a headache diary to track their mood, energy, stress levels and attacks as they occurred and what happened four times a day for two weeks.
They also assessed their sleep quality every day and wore monitors to track both their sleep and physical activity.
Those who reported poor sleep were on average 22 percent more likely to have a headache attack the next morning.
Similarly, a decrease in self-reported sleep quality was linked to an 18 percent increased risk of a headache attack the next morning.
A reduction in usual energy levels the day before was associated with a 16 percent higher risk of headaches the next morning.
On the contrary, higher average stress levels and significantly higher energy levels the day before were linked to a 17 percent greater chance of a headache the following afternoon or evening.
Dr. Kathleen R. Merikangas, the study’s author and the chief genetic epidemiologist at the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the NIH, said: ‘Surprisingly, we found no link between a person’s anxiety and depression symptoms – nor having more symptoms, nor have higher symptoms. -than-average levels of symptoms – and the likelihood of having a migraine attack the next day.
‘Perhaps most interesting, headaches were associated with self-rated sleep quality rather than with actual measures of sleep patterns. This underlines the importance of perceived physical and emotional states in the underlying causes of migraine.”
The exact cause of migraines is not yet fully understood, but sleep disorders and attacks go hand in hand.
Patients with chronic migraines – those who experience fifteen or more attacks per month – report a rate of insomnia that is twice as high as humans who experience less frequent, less intense attacks.
In addition to miscommunication between nerve cells in the brain and poor sleep, migraines are caused by a variety of unexpected causes
Migraine is a neurological condition caused by changes in the brain and its interaction with the tigeminal nerve responsible for transmitting sensory information to the brain.
During an attack, that nerve is activated and releases neuropeptides, chemical messengers made up of amino acids.
These neuropeptides cause blood vessels to narrow, reducing blood flow to the brain.
Low levels of serotonin, which help regulate mood, sleep and pain perception, can also lead to the release of neuropeptides that transmit pain signals from nerve endings to the central nervous system.
Migraines can be caused by several causes, including poor sleep, stress, hormonal changes and environmental factors such as bright lights and loud noises.
There are also some less expected triggers, including eating aged cheeses, weather changes and chemicals in perfume.
But more research is needed into the exact causes and how to spot migraine attacks before they happen.
The study authors said: ‘These findings may provide insight into the pathophysiological processes underlying migraine and inform clinical intervention and prevention.
“Monitoring these systems in real time with mobile technology provides a valuable complementary tool to traditional clinical assessments.”