Migraine and Headache Awareness Mini Quiz
June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, so it a good time to test your knowledge of headaches, with a particular focus on the more painful migraine headaches. Take our mini-quiz see how much you know. Answers to all questions are at the bottom of the page.
- About what percentage of women suffer from migraine headaches in the course of their lifetime?
- 12%
- 20%
- 30%
- None of the above
- True or false: Beer and aged cheeses can reduce the likelihood of getting a migraine headache.
- True or false: Tension headaches, migraine headaches, and cluster headaches are all caused by the same factors and can be helped with the same approaches.
- True or false: Strong smells and bright lights are common triggers for migraine headaches.
- True or false: Migraine headaches are more common at different times of a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Answers:
- Answer: C: 30%. Studies indicate that over the course of a lifetime, almost a third of women will confront migraine headaches. Men are 3 times less likely to suffer from migraines. Overall, about 12% of the US population will have this problem over the course of a lifetime, so this is a major medical issue.
- Answer: False. Beer and aged cheeses have a chemical called Tyramine that may be a very common trigger for migraine headaches, according to the Mayo Clinic. While not all people with migraines are triggered by these foods, it is recommended that people with migraines err on the side of caution and avoid them. Alcohol and peanuts should also be avoided or used with caution by migraine sufferers, as well as nitrates, which are used as preservatives for meat and other food products.
- Answer: False. There appear to be different mechanisms involved in the development of these three different kinds of headaches. Because 90% of people have tension headaches at some point in their lives, it is difficult to determine if there are any hereditary factors involved in the development of tension headaches. Migraine headaches almost certainly have hereditary factors involved, probably involving an important neurotransmitter associated with mood and anxiety called serotonin. Recent research noted by the National Institute for Health suggests that there may be inherited factors involved in the development of cluster headaches, the rarest but most painful kind of headaches. Less than 1% of people suffer from this condition, with men more likely than women to develop cluster headaches. Tension headaches can mostly be avoided by reducing stress and tension. Migraine headaches can be somewhat controlled and lessened by avoiding common migraine triggers. Cluster headaches don’t seem to be preventable by avoiding triggers, but once a cluster headache starts, alcohol and nicotine may make them worse, so smoking and drinking is not a good idea when a cluster headache is happening.
- Answer: True. Migraine headaches can be triggered in some people by bright lights, loud sounds, and strong odors or aromas.
- Answer: True. There seems to be a complicated relationship between estrogen, the female hormone that plays such an important role in a woman’s reproductive and menstrual cycle, and serotonin, a chemical that is important for maintaining a good mood. Current research on migraine headaches seems to indicate that serotonin abnormalities in a very specific part of the brain may be at the heart of why people develop migraines. Other research indicates that increases and decreases in estrogen can have important effects on serotonin levels. So if estrogen levels go down at certain points in a woman’s menstrual cycle, it affects serotonin levels and increases the risk that a migraine headache will emerge.
People who develop migraine or cluster headaches should know that there are things that can be done to help deal with these conditions. Seek out a physician who can help you develop a strategy. It is also important to remember to see a physician for any headache that lasts for more than a short time or doesn’t respond to aspirin or other over the counter pain medications. A persistent headache can be a symptom of some very serious conditions that require professional medical care.