What Can Trigger Off A Migraine Attack?

People suffering from migraines can attest to the extreme distress that such headaches can cause in their lives.

Migraine attacks typically result in pounding headaches, nausea, vomiting and light sensitivity. Scientists have been wary in laying out clear-cut causes of migraine attacks which may range from genetic predisposition to stress and chemical triggers. However a recent study by a research team from Boston may shed light on definite links between migraine attacks and the onset of warm weather.

Lead author of the study Kenneth J Mukamal, MD and his colleagues found that for every 9 degree Fahrenheit rise in atmosphere temperature, there was 7.5% rise in risk of a migraine headache. This link held good regardless of the time of the year and an increase in temperature emerged as the most significant weather-related headache trigger.

Mukamal is associated with Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center as well as the Harvard Center for Public Health. The study compared the medical records of 7054 patients of headaches treated at a Boston hospital’s emergency section over a period of seven years. Mukamal and his colleagues however did not find any conclusive evidence on the link between higher levels of pollution and increased frequency of migraine headaches.