The aim of this study was to evaluate and define the
triggers of the acute migraine attack.
Patients rated triggers on a 0-3 scale for the average
headache.
Demographics, prodrome, aura, headache characteristics,
postdrome, medication responsiveness, acute and chronic
disability, sleep characteristics and social and personal
characteristics were also recorded. One thousand two hundred
and seven International Classification of Headache
Disorders-2 (1.1-1.2, and 1.5.1) patients were evaluated, of
whom 75.9% reported triggers (40.4% infrequently, 26.7%
frequently and 8.8% very frequently).
The trigger frequencies were stress (79.7%),
hormones in women (65.1%), not eating (57.3%),
weather (53.2%), sleep disturbance (49.8%),
perfume or odour (43.7%), neck pain (38.4%),
light(s) (38.1%), alcohol (37.8%), smoke
(35.7%), sleeping late (32.0%), heat (30.3%),
food (26.9%), exercise (22.1%) and sexual
activity (5.2%).
Triggers were more likely to be associated with a more
florid acute migraine attack. Differences were seen between
women and men, aura and no aura, episodic and chronic
migraine, and between migraine and probable migraine.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=17403039
