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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Several factors make you more prone to having migraines.

  • Family history. Up to 90 percent of people with migraines have a family history of migraine attacks. If one or both of your parents have migraines, there's a good chance you will, too.
  • Age. Migraine can begin at any age, though most people experience their first migraine during adolescence. By age 40, most people with migraine have had their first attack.
  • Gender. Women are three times more likely to have migraines. Headaches tend to affect boys more than girls during childhood, but by the time of puberty, more girls are affected.
  • Hormonal changes. If you're a woman who has migraines, you may find that your headaches begin just before or shortly after onset of menstruation. They may also change during pregnancy or menopause. Some women report that their migraine attacks got worse during the first trimester of a pregnancy, though for many, the attacks improved during later stages in the pregnancy.
Complications Causes
References
  1. NINDS Migraine information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/migraine/migraine.htm. Accessed March 28, 2011.
  2. Cutrer FM, et al. Pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 28, 2011.
  3. Boes CJ, et al. Headache and other craniofacial pain. In: Bradley WG, et al. Neurology in Clinical Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Butterworth-Heinemann Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1155758096&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7506-7525-3..50111-4&isbn=978-0-7506-7525-3&uniqId=240648610-3. Accessed May 1, 2011.
  4. Migraine. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Migraine. Accessed March 30, 2011.
  5. Headache diagnosis and testing. American Headache Society. http://www.americanheadachesociety.org/assets/NAP_for_Web_-_Headache_Diagnosis_&_Testing.pdf. Accessed April 1, 2011.
  6. Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/headachehope.pdf. Accessed April 1, 2011.
  7. Migraine. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2009;301:2608.
  8. Calhoun AH. Estrogen-associated migraine. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 28, 2011.
  9. Hormones and migraines. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Hormones_and_Migraine. Accessed March 30, 2011.
  10. Bajwa ZH, et al. Acute treatment of migraine in adults. .http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 28, 2011.
  11. SSRIs, triptans and serotonin syndrome: What is the risk of serotonin syndrome in migraine? American Headache Society. http://www.achenet.org/education/patients/SSRIsTriptansandSerotoninSyndrome.asp?print=y. Accessed April 1, 2011.
  12. Keeping a headache diary can help your doctor help you. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/pdf/How_Keep_Headache_Diary.pdf. Accessed April 1, 2011.
  13. Gilmore B, et al. Treatment of acute migraine headache. American Family Physician. 2011;83:271.
  14. Migraine prevention: A guide to the latest methods and treatments. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/educational_modules/migraine_module/page_home.htm. Accessed March 31, 2011.
  15. Fenstermacher N, et al. Pharmacological prevention of migraine. British Medical Journal. 2011;342:540.
  16. Bajwa ZH, et al. Preventive treatment of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 28, 2011.
  17. Cruse RP. Management of migraine headache in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 28, 2011.
  18. Chaibi A, et al. Manual therapies for migraine: A systematic review. Journal of Headache and Pain. 2011; epub Feb. 5.
  19. Exertional headaches. National Headache Foundation. http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Exertional_Headaches. Accessed March 31, 2011.
  20. FDA approves Botox to treat chronic migraine. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm229782.htm. Accessed April 14, 2011.
DS00120 June 4, 2011

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