A study of triggers of migraine in India

To evaluate the migraine triggers in consecutive patients and correlate these with demographic and clinical variables.

A prospective study.

Tertiary care teaching hospital.

A total of 182 patients with migraine were included whose age ranged between 14 to 58 years and 131 were females. Duration of migraine ranged between 6 and 260 months. Endogenous and exogenous migraine triggers were inquired using a questionnaire. Severity of migraine, associated symptoms, and functional disability were recorded. Presence of trigger was correlated with various demographic and clinical variables.

Migraine triggers were present in 160 (87.9%) patients and included emotional stress in 70%, fasting in 46.3%, physical exhaustion or traveling in 52.5%, sleep deprivation in 44.4%, menstruation in 12.8%, and weather changes in 10.1% patients. Multiple triggers (>2) were present in 34.4% patients.

The triggers in the Indian migraine patients are similar to other populations but for dietary factors.