New Science Shows the Hormone Relationship in Migraines

Research Article by Lyle Henry

For many years migraine researchers have known there is a hormone connection to migraines. We can safely say that most migraines occurring in men, women, and children are caused by the body's inability to properly manage the changes in hormone production.

The more precise cause of migraines may be seen as a change in specific neurochemicals that are released during phases of hormone production. These neurochemicals affect the trigeminal nerve vascular system and sets into motion a progression of events, the outcome of which is a painful migraine headache and associated aura, nausea and vomiting.

DNA The reason some people get migraines can be found in the DNA makeup as an inherited gene. This gene has been identified and labeled as MTHFR and is found in the mitochondria of specific cells. These cells are the hormone producing cells for estrogen and progesterone for both men and women (yes, men produce the same hormones as women).

These cells receive their "production" orders by way of other hormones known as "messenger" hormones that are produced and secreted by the pituitary gland. The way these cells know that the messenger hormones are for them is through specialized proteins that are on the outside of the cell membrane called hormone receptors.

Deep Secrets of Migraines

Migraines occur when various hormone levels of the body fluctuate and most often when the "messenger" hormones are secreted from the pituitary gland into the blood stream to be received by the aforementioned specific cells in the body that have the migraine gene. For a still unknown reason, there is an adverse reaction in these cells that causes the production of neurochemical identified as CGRP to occur.

How Do Hormones Cause Migraines?

Hormones don't in the true sense of cause and effect; however, when we use the analogy of an automobile we can start to understand the relationship. Gasoline, for example does not make the car go; rather, gasoline makes the engine run which rotates the transmission gears, which make the wheels turn. Hormones are like the gasoline in that they start a reaction which results in the wheels turning that ends with a migraine.

To say that estrogen or progesterone is the cause of a migraine is a misunderstanding of the effect of hormones on migraines. This misunderstanding has led to the prescribing additional hormones as a treatment for migraines. We can readily see the adverse effect of hormones on migraine when we realize that birth control pills, which are hormones, generally cause migraine headaches.

Migraines occur outside the brain in what is called the trigeminal nerve vascular system. Those who have had migraine headaches can easily draw the path of this system as it starts at the temples and runs forward to branch out behind the eyes and down the jaw line. This system is comprised of hair-like nerve fibers that are intertwined with tiny blood vessels.

The pain of a migraine headache occurs when these tiny blood vessels dilate and begin to swell and expand to the point where they are actually putting pressure on the nerve endings. We often feel throbbing pain as the blood fills these vessels and pinch on nerves.

It is the neurochemical CGRP that causes the blood vessels to dilate and expand. To make matters worse, when the nerve fibers become irritated, they react in a way that can cause an increase in the level of CGRP in a round-robin effect that increases the pain level and the duration of a migraine attack.

To learn more see Tuliv Migraine Research.