ORLANDO, Fla. – A migraine is sometimes misunderstood as a bad headache, but doctors say migraines are a neurological disease impacting about 39 million people in the U.S.
According to the American Migraine Foundation, it’s the third most common disease in the world.
“It occurs in about 16% to 18% of women and about 5% of men. Overall, it’s about 12% of the entire population. So, it’s about one in eight people overall,” said Dr. Vincent Martin, director of the Headache and Facial Pain Center and president of the National Headache Foundation at the University of Cincinnati. “It’s probably one of the most common conditions that we see in practice.”
Migraines typically last anywhere from four to 72 hours and cause moderate to severe pain.
“Usually, the pain is on one side, but occasionally it can be two-sided. And they get a variety of different symptoms such as nausea, and vomiting, and sometimes sensitivity to light and noise as well,” said Martin.
Now, a new study from the American Academy of Neurology found people who suffer from migraines might be able to predict when one is coming, hours before symptoms even start.
The study found circadian rhythms play a huge role in migraines. Study participants who experienced poor sleep quality and low energy had a higher chance of a migraine the next morning.
For people who had higher energy and higher stress levels, a migraine also typically followed the next day, but in the afternoon or evening.
Doctors say recognizing specific triggers means a migraine could be predicted and prevented with medication before it even starts.
“We use some of the ones that stay in the body a little bit longer shortly before a trigger and during the trigger, and then sometimes that can kind of ward it off,” Martin said.
Along with sleep, energy level and stress, other common migraine triggers include hormones, certain smells or foods, and even weather changes.