Chronic migraine headaches can cause severe pain for several hours or last for days. Some patients have warning signals of an impending migraine, such as seeing auras or flashes of light or having a tingling sensation in the arms or legs.
In addition to the pounding in the head, migraine sufferers may experience other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and a heightened sensitivity to sound and light.
Though no cure is available for migraine headaches, Mayo Clinic doctors report that there are a number of physical and environmental causes that can be mitigated through lifestyle changes.
Imbalances
1. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic have found that serotonin levels drop when a migraine headache appears, which causes neuropeptides to be released and create pain. Estrogen fluctuations can trigger migraines in many women. The imbalance of hormones causes the severe headaches as women go through menopause and during menstrual cycles. Other women experience migraines while going through a pregnancy.
Diet
2. Certain foods commonly cause migraines to appear, indicating a sensitivity or allergy in some people. Alcohol, especially beer and red wine, are common triggers reported by migraine sufferers. While skipping meals for some people can cause a migraine to appear, others become ill after eating aged cheese, chocolate and food that contains monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Changes
3. The body reacts to changes in a variety of ways and people prone to migraines should monitor which changes precede a migraine so they can make necessary adjustments. Stress is a big trigger for many people and can bring on migraines when the person feels pressured at home or work. Changes in sleep patterns for any reason can set the body in motion to react with a migraine headache.
A sudden drop in the barometric pressure or drastic weather changes also can bring on a migraine. Doctors at the American Academy of Family Physicians add that changes in blood sugar levels brought on by eating too many carbohydrates or missing meals can affect serotonin levels and cause a migraine.
Drugs
4. Doctors at the American Academy of Neurology report that overuse of medications to treat chronic migraine headaches actually can increase the severity and incidence of the painful headaches. Headaches can worsen and be caused by taking the medications too frequently.
While pain medications can be useful for treating migraines, if they are taken more than twice a week, they can cause additional headaches. Medication overuse headaches can start in as little as two months after patients begin taking medications to treat their headaches.