What Women Should Know About Migraine: Yes, You Can Have Relief
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What Causes Migraine? Triggers.

In many patients, migraines have well known "triggers"- factors that cause a migraine to start. These include:

A. Foods (e.g. chocolate, smoked fish, nuts, pickled foods, or aged cheese)
B. Beverages (e.g. red wine, other alcoholic beverages; caffeine withdrawal)
C. Food additives (e.g. nitrates, nitrites or MSG)
D. Environmental factors (e.g. bright or flashing lights; changes in weather; increased stress; missed meals; changes in altitude)
E. Significant changes in sleep (either too much or too little)
F. Hormonal changes: especially changes in estrogen levels (e.g. with pregnancy, premenstrual syndrome, and perimenopause)
G. Medications: starting or stopping many medications may increase or decrease migraine incidence (e.g. birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, certain antidepressants, certain blood pressure medications). This is another reason never to stop taking a chronic medicine suddenly without first discussing it with your physician.

Migraine headaches can also be hereditary. If both parents have them, there is a 75% chance that their children will have them; if only one parent has migraines, there is a 50% chance that the child will be affected.