What causes migraine?
There is no known specific cause for migraine, although most people with it are genetically predisposed to migraine. If you are susceptible to migraine there are certain triggers which commonly occur. These include stress, lack of food or hydration, alcohol, hormonal changes in women, lack of sleep and the environment.
Causes of chronic migraine
Just like episodic migraine there is no single cause for chronic migraine. Some people find that they have defined triggers such as caffeine, bright lights, hormone, food or sleep deprivation.
However for some people there is a steady progression in headache frequency, especially in long term sufferers. This can lead to the migraines becoming so frequent that they cross the threshold of more than 15 days per month and become defined as chronic migraine.
Every year between 2.5 and 4.6% of people with episodic migraine experience progression to chronic migraine. The good news is that approximately the same proportion regress from chronic to episodic migraine spontaneously.
It has been shown that up to 73% of chronic migraine patients over use headache medications. This may result in further complications, so it is important that if use of acute medication becomes daily, then help should be sought from their Primary care provider or a neurologist.
Currently there are no known cures for chronic migraine, although there are some new treatment options under investigation for the prevention of some types of migraine including chronic migriane.
Taking control if you have chronic migraine.
Chronic migraine is a distinct type of migraine that is sometimes progressive. It is therefore important to recognize how often everyday life is disrupted by migraine and keep a record of how many days per month you have a headache. If this is more than half the month, you may well have chronic migraine and should see a neurologist, whom may be able to offer you a wider range of treatments to help reduce your symptoms.