Trigger factors in migraine patients.
BACKGROUND
Migraine is a chronic neurological disease with several trigger factors, including dietary, hormonal and environmental factors.


OBJECTIVE
To analyse precipitating factors in a sample of migraine patients.


METHODS
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%.


CONCLUSIONS
Trigger factors are frequent in migraine patients, its avoidance may decrease headache frequency and also improve patients' quality of life.
Fukui
Patrícia Timy
PT
Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, São Bernardo, SP, Brazil.
Gonçalves
Tessa Rachel Tranquillini
TR
Strabelli
Cintia Giunchetti
CG
Lucchino
Natalia Maria Fernandes
NM
Matos
Fernanda Cunha
FC
Santos
Juliana Pinto Moreira dos
JP
Zukerman
Eliova
E
Zukerman-Guendler
Vera
V
Mercante
Juliane Prieto
JP
Masruha
Marcelo Rodrigues
MR
Vieira
Domingos Sávio
DS
Peres
Mario Fernando Prieto
MF
D002099:Cacao; D002182:Candy / Q000009:adverse effects; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004777:Environment; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005215:Fasting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D009043:Motor Activity; D011293:Premenstrual Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications; D012903:Smell; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D000431:Ethanol