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Trigger factors in primary headaches subtypes: a cross-sectional study from a tertiary centre in Greece
Panagiotis Iliopoulos1, Dimitris Damigos2, Elli Kerezoudi3
1Department of Neurology, Pammakaristos Hospital, Iakovaton 43, Athens, 11142, Greece. takis79@yahoo.gr.
BMC Research Notes
|September 2, 2015
Summary
Headache sufferers, especially those with migraine with aura, experience numerous triggers like stress and emotions. Understanding these headache triggers is key for effective prevention and management.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Headache Medicine
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Headache triggers are known contributors to headache attacks in susceptible individuals.
- Identifying and understanding triggers is crucial for headache prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the characteristics of headache triggers across primary headache subtypes.
- Specifically comparing migraine without aura, migraine with aura, and tension-type headache.
Main Methods:
- 116 headache patients from a tertiary hospital neurology clinic were enrolled.
- Patient selection followed International Classification of Headaches-3nd Edition Beta criteria.
- A questionnaire detailing 35 potential trigger factors was administered.
Main Results:
- Migraine and tension-type headache patients frequently report multiple triggers.
- Stressful life events and intense emotions were the most common triggers across all groups.
- Migraine with aura patients reported the highest number and frequency of triggers, including environmental and hormonal factors.
Conclusions:
- Headache triggers vary significantly among primary headache subtypes.
- Migraine with aura patients exhibit heightened sensitivity to a wider range of triggers.
- Clinicians and patients should consider trigger sensitivity in headache management and prevention.
