Various Trigger Factors of Migraine: A Review of Pathophysiology and Mechanism

Abstract

Migraine is a high prevalence primary headache. Global epidemiological data from 132 countries in 2016 shows an estimated 1.04 billion people have migraine. Epidemiological data in Bali based on research by Adnyana in 2012 showed 23.7% nursing students had migraines. Although migraine can occur spontaneously, many migraine attacks are triggered by certain trigger factors. The trigger factors for migraine are various, ranging from foods, hormonal disorders, stress, sleep disorders, and environmental factors. Each of these factors has its own mechanism that contributes to the pathophysiology of migraine. Based on scientific data, some factors have strong supporting evidence regarding their correlation with migraine, but some others are only suggestive and not supported by scientific evidence. Factors that have obvious involvement with migraine are hormonal factors, stress, and sleep. Some types of foods such as chocolate and caffeine have a migraine trigger effect, but they can also treat migraine. It is recommended for patients to be able to identify factors that may trigger headache attacks, so that they can reduce the frequency of attacks in chronic migraine patients. Keywords: Migraine, Trigger, Mechanism