What Puts You at Risk for Migraines?

Migraine headaches are very intense and last much longer than a typical headache. They often come on at the worst of times, making getting anything done nearly impossible.

There are several factors that make it more likely you’ll suffer from a migraine. Understanding your risk helps you avoid getting these headaches in the future.

At Pinnacle Health Chiropractic, our team is ready to help you deal with a migraine when it pops up. Dr. Jason Ablett is our licensed chiropractor, specializing in getting rid of migraines and other headaches.

What is a migraine?

A migraine is an intense type of headache that’s considered a neurological condition. It’s typically much worse than a normal headache, and causes intense throbbing pain on one side of your head.

Migraines differ from regular headaches in their severity and symptoms. They cause more intense pain that can last for days at a time, along with other symptoms such as:

• Light and noise sensitivity
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Fatigue 
• Pale skin
• Chills and/or sweating

Along with different symptoms, migraines also differ from regular headaches in that they come in four stages. Not everyone experiences every stage, but the stages are common among chronic migraine sufferers.

The four stages of a migraine include the prodrome, aura, headache, and postdrome. Each stage may take anywhere from hours to days, with the typical migraine lasting about three days at a time.

Risk factors for migraines

It’s important to know your risk for getting migraines, because they have the potential to really disrupt your life. Your first migraine can also be very scary, as the pain is often severe and accompanied by other uncomfortable symptoms.

There are several factors that increase the likelihood that you’ll experience a migraine in your life. These are the things that put you at risk for migraine headaches:

Genetics

There is a genetic factor when it comes to migraines. In fact, up to 80% of people who suffer from migraines have someone in their family who also has the condition. This is a staggering number, so it’s important to find out if your first-degree relatives get migraines.

Stress

High amounts of stress put you at risk for a variety of disorders, including migraine headaches. Stress has the ability to wreak havoc on your body, and may trigger migraine attacks more often than those with low levels of stress.

Gender

Hormones play a large role in your chances of getting a migraine. Women are more likely to suffer from migraines because of the changes in hormones. This usually happens between the ages of 15 and 55. However, men can still get migraines as well.

All of these circumstances do raise your chances of getting migraine headaches, but they don’t have to. Although you can’t change these risk factors, you can find out what triggers a migraine, which may help you ward them off in the future.

Keeping your migraines at bay

Unfortunately, you can’t change some of the risk factors for migraines. However, you can figure out what triggers your migraines, and make the appropriate changes to avoid them from coming on.

There are a lot of things that trigger migraine headaches, with the most common including:

• Caffeine and alcohol
• Changes in the weather
• Sleep pattern changes
• Strong smells
• Loud sounds
• Certain foods
• Artificial sweeteners
• Food additives

If you suffer from migraines, finding out exactly what’s causing them is the key to decreasing your symptoms, and possibly avoiding them all together. 

Dr. Ablett and the team at Pinnacle Health Chiropractic provide you with several treatment strategies when it comes to migraine headaches. If you’re at risk for this problem and you can’t seem to control them on your own, Dr. Ablett offers manual chiropractic manipulation and trigger point injections to get you the relief you need.

Don’t continue to suffer through migraine headaches — Dr. Ablett can help. Call our office today at 425-368-5753, or you can schedule an appointment online using the booking tool on our web page.