Much of what was thought to be true about Migraines has now been shown to be either incorrect or incomplete. Unfortunately, despite the best communications and learning opportunities in history, misinformation about Migraines is still all too common.

Let's take a look at one such piece of misinformation the cause of Migraine. For many years, it was thought that Migraines were vascular headaches caused by the constriction and dilation of blood vessels in the brain. This was a good theory, but due to the restrictions on research of that time period, it didn't go far enough.

Thanks to advances in imaging technology, it is now known that the headache is not actually the Migraine, but one symptom of the Migraine attack. Migraine is actually a genetic neurological disease. It can be said that the root cause is genetics. Beyond that, the most prevalent theory of the physiological cause of Migraine is overactive neurons in the brains on Migraineurs (people who have Migraine disease). When Migraineurs encounter a trigger (an environmental or physical factor such as fluorescent lighting, certain foods, barometric pressure changes, hormonal fluctuations, and others), those neurons fire in a wave across the brain, starting a chain reaction. Levels of neurotransmitters including serotonin and norepinephrine fluctuate, small arteries in the covering of the brain dilate and the tissues and nerves surrounding them become inflamed. A Migraine attack can occur without a headache, but if there is one, it's from sensory impulses transmitted by the nerves from these inflamed blood vessels and surrounding tissues transmitted to higher centers of the brain and experienced as pain.

As technology advances even more, we may yet discover that these overly excitable neurons aren't the root cause of Migraine either, but we have come a long way from the era of thinking that Migraines are "vascular headaches" caused by changes in the blood vessels. We now know that the changes in the blood vessels are a part of the chain reaction, not the cause.

We also know that Migraine is a genetic neurological disease, and there are more treatment options available than even a few years ago.

In future articles, I'll explain some of the other common misconceptions about Migraine disease.

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References:

Young, William B., MD; Silberstein, Stephen D., MD. "Migraine and Other Headaches." Ney York: AAN Press. 2004.

Interview with Fred Sheftell, M.D., Director and Founder, New England Center for Headache.

Learn more about this author, Teri Robert.
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