Risk factors for Migraine

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.

About 11% of the population is reported to experience a migraine over the course of a given year. The risk of having a migraine diagnosis over a lifetime increases to nearly 20%.

Risk factors for migraines include:

• Sex: adult females, but about equal gender risk in pre-adolescents
• Family members with migraines
• Youth (50% of cases occur before adulthood, 90% occur before age 40)
• Medications including:
  • Birth control pills
  • Hormone replacement therapy
  • Drugs to dilate blood vessels
• Menstruation
• Fatigue
• Lack of sleep or changing sleep patterns
• Stress or relief from stress
• Skipping meals
• Alcohol, especially red wine
• Altitude or weather changes
• Time zone changes
• Exertion that is sustained or excessive
• Glaring or flashing light
• Perfumes or other odors
• Eating foods known to trigger migraines
• Epilepsy
• Small hole in the heart that is leftover from development in the womb (called patent foramen ovale)