Migraines are a type of headache characterized by severe pain, often accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and visual disturbances. Treatment includes medications to relieve symptoms and prevent migraines and lifestyle changes. The assessment of the Polygenic Risk Score for migraine is based on the examination of 38 gene polymorphisms.
Genetic testing for migraine is included along with 15 other diseases in the Genetic Screening for Diseases of the Nervous System, Polygenic Risk Score.
Causes and non-genetic risk factors
The cause of migraines is not fully understood. Still, it is believed to result from temporary abnormal brain activity affecting nerve signals, chemicals, and blood vessels in the brain, which could be determined by genetics and environmental factors. However, several triggers for this pathology have been suggested that may or may not affect the development of migraine.
- Estrogen fluctuations from menstrual periods, pregnancy, and menopause seem to trigger headaches in many women.
- Alcoholic beverages, especially wine and caffeinated beverages.
- Stress, anxiety, or other emotional problems.
- Sensitive stimuli such as bright lights or loud sounds, strong odors (perfumes, solvents), and tobacco smoke may also trigger some people.
- Lack of sleep, oversleeping, or irregular sleep patterns.
- Intense physical exertion, including sexual activity.
- Changes in weather or atmospheric pressure.
- Oral contraceptives based mainly on estrogens and vasodilators (nitroglycerin for heart conditions) can aggravate migraines.
- Skipping meals, dehydration, certain foods such as aged cheeses, salty, processed foods, and food additives including the sweetener aspartame, the preservative glutamate, or nitrates and nitrites.
Currently, one has also been described as a risk factor for migraine predisposition:
- Gender: women are three times more prone.
- Age: the maximum incidence usually occurs around adolescence, reaching its maximum intensity at 30, and decreases in intensity and frequency from this point, although they can occur at any age.
Symptoms
The main symptom is headache, which is a mild, moderate, or severe throbbing or throbbing. It may move from one side of the head to another, affect a specific area, or spread to the face and neck. Migraines may go through four stages: prodrome, aura, attack, and postdrome, although not all migraines have to go through all four:
- Prodrome: One or two days before, subtle indicative changes such as constipation, mood changes, food cravings, muscle stiffness, fluid retention, increased urination, or frequent yawning may be perceived.
- Aura: This may occur before or during. It consists of a visual symptom, such as flashes, points of light, shapes, or loss of vision, which may be accompanied by other alterations, such as tingling in arms or legs, numbness or weakness on one side of the face or body, difficulty speaking, dizziness or imbalance, and less frequently loss of consciousness. Often, each manifestation develops within a few minutes and may last up to 1 hour.
- Headache: It can last from hours to 3 days if not treated, with a variable frequency among individuals. In addition to the pain itself, which worsens with head movement, there may be sensitivity to light, sound, smell, or touch, nausea, and vomiting.
- Postdrome: Exhaustion, confusion, weakness, and sometimes even euphoria may be felt after the attack.
Other symptoms of migraines are loss of appetite, feeling very hot (sweating) or cold (chills), pallor, diarrhea (rare), or fever.
Prevention
One of the best ways to prevent migraines is to recognize what triggers an attack and try to avoid it. You should also take care of your lifestyle and check your weight and general health regularly (blood pressure, blood glucose).
Do physical exercise as long as it is not harmful or a trigger to limit stress and improve health.
Diet is an aspect that has been related, but this is specific to each individual. Therefore, it is recommended to record foods that trigger a migraine attack in order to avoid them later.
