---
title: What triggers migraine headaches in people? | Niyora
description: Emotional stress (64%), sleep problems (81%), and the premenstrual period (53% reported hormonal triggers) are major migraine triggers. Many people also repor
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/trigger-factors-in-migraine-patients-2008/
---

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- What triggers migraine headaches in people?

Study, 2008

# What triggers migraine headaches in people?

Emotional stress (64%), sleep problems (81%), and the premenstrual period (53% reported hormonal triggers) are major migraine triggers. Many people also reported dietary triggers and smells as causes.

 Moderate study design

200 people with migraines seen at clinics

## What they did

Interviewed 200 people with migraines at a clinic. Asked them to describe what factors they believed triggered their migraine attacks, including food, hormones, physical activity, emotions, sleep, and environmental factors.

## What they found

Most people reported at least one dietary trigger, with fasting being most common, followed by alcohol and chocolate. Hormonal factors appeared in 53%, with the premenstrual period being the most frequent hormonal trigger. Emotional stress was reported by 64%, sleep problems by 81%, smells by 36.5%, physical activity by 13%, and sexual activity by 2.5%.

## What it means for you

For many people with migraines, the premenstrual period is a common time for attacks. Knowing personal triggers might help reduce how often migraines happen. However, these are people's beliefs about what causes their migraines, not scientifically measured triggers. Different people have different triggers, so what bothers one person may not bother someone else.

200

Number of people interviewed

53%

Percentage reporting hormonal triggers

81%

Percentage reporting sleep problems as a trigger

## About the study

Original title Trigger factors in migraine patients Authors Fukui PT, Gonçalves TR, Strabelli CG et al. Journal Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria Year 2008 Study design Study What was tested None Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1590/s0004-282x2008000400011](https://doi.org/10.1590/s0004-282x2008000400011)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Migraine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-migraine/)

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