What is a migraine?
A migraine is a type of headache that can cause severe pain and a throbbing sensation, often on one side of your head. You might also experience nausea, vomiting, weakness and sensitivity to light and sound.
It’s different from an ordinary headache. The pain can interfere with everyday activities and leave you exhausted. It can last from hours to days.
What is a migraine with aura?
A migraine with aura means you experience visual disturbances such as flashes of light and blind spots, either before the headache or at the same time. You might also feel tingling in your face, arm or leg, and have difficulty speaking.
What causes migraines?
Migraines are thought to be linked to abnormal activity in your brain chemicals or nerves. This then affects blood flow in your brain and surrounding tissue.
Migraines are more common in women and can be triggered by hormonal changes related to the menstrual cycle.
Migraines can also be triggered by things in your environment, including bright or flashing lights, loud noises, changes in air pressure, stress, alcohol, caffeine, and certain foods such as aged cheese.
How do migraines affect my risk of stroke or heart disease?
People who experience migraines are at higher risk for stroke and heart disease. They are also more likely to have common risk factors for these conditions, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
In particular, stroke risk is higher in people who experience migraines with aura.
Are there special considerations for women?
Migraines can interact with other risk factors for heart disease and stroke that affect women over different life stages. Specifically:
- Younger women: Migraines can be triggered by the menstrual cycle.
- IMPORTANT: If you experience migraines, especially with aura, your risk of stroke increases significantly if you smoke or use birth control pills. It is higher still if you do both.
- Pregnancy: Migraines may occur less frequently when you are pregnant. But pregnant women who experience migraines have higher rates of gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia. These are potentially serious complications of pregnancy, and can indicate an increased risk of future heart disease or stroke.
- Menopause and beyond: During menopause, migraines may increase due to hormonal changes, but then decrease after menopause. If you experienced migraines in your younger years but no longer get them, tell your healthcare provider. This information could help them better assess your overall risk of stroke and heart disease.
What should I do if I have migraines?
It’s important to tell your healthcare provider if you think you have experienced a migraine, especially with aura. They can help you take steps to reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease.
These steps could include:
- Adopting healthy lifestyle habits: You can reduce your risk of stroke or heart disease by eating a healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruit, getting regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, being smoke free and managing stress. These behaviours, along with limiting alcohol, may also reduce the recurrence of migraines.
- Monitoring and controlling your blood pressure: High blood pressure (hypertension) can be linked to migraines and is the number one risk factor for stroke. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor can suggest ways to control it, including medication.
- Managing other stroke risk factors: These include diabetes, smoking and high cholesterol. Depending on your circumstances, there are options to control or treat some of these risk factors.
What else should I know about migraines?
Tell your healthcare provider if your migraines become more frequent or severe.
It can be helpful to keep a diary, noting your migraine symptoms, severity and duration, and what you were doing and feeling before the migraine came on. You may be able to identify triggers to avoid (for example, specific foods you were eating before the onset).
In some cases, medications can reduce the recurrence or severity of migraines. But certain drugs can affect your health in other ways, so your healthcare provider needs to carefully determine the best course for you.
