Trigger Factors Of Migraine And Tension-type Headache

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate frequency andexamine the relationship of trigger factors in subjects with migraine andTTH attending to our hospital neurological outpatient department. Andcompare the trigger factors in different subtypes and different genders,providing the basis to make a more positive effective prevention andtreatment strategies of primary headache.Methods: It’s a cross-sectional survey for5months in the FirstAffiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, neurological clinic. Aself-administered questionnaire was used to collect medical records.Headache diagnoses were according to the International Classification ofHeadache Disorders,2nd edition. SPSS statistical software was used toanalysis the data.Results: Of the total1219patients attending our hospital for headache,394(32.3%) were migraineurs and344(28.2%) were TTH. There were316(80.2%) migraineurs and232(67.4%) TTH patients had reported triggerfactors (p=0.000). The mean number of triggers was3.05(SD1.848) inmigraineurs; and in TTH patients, the mean number of triggers was2.38(SD 1.567).The frequencies of the trigger relative in migraineurs and TTH weresleep disturbance (39.3%vs.28.8%), stress (34.5%vs.32.3%), sunlight(32.5%vs.20.9%), change of the weather (31.1%vs.11.6%), wind (23.1%vs.14.5%), fatigue (17.0%vs.12.8%), cold (14.2%vs.11.3%),heat (14.0%vs.10.2%), alcohol (11.4%vs.7.6%), odor (9.9%vs.4.4%), noise (9.9%vs.4.4%) and menstrual cycles (8.8%vs.2.3%). In terms of sunlight, change ofweather, wind, noise, odor and hormone, there were significant differencesbetween migraineurs and TTH patients. The tendency of triggers in femaleswas familiar with the total in both migraine and TTH and the males had litterdifferent.Conclusion: Trigger factors were important reason for repeated attacksin migraines and TTH patients, and migraine was more vulnerable thanTTH. Migraine with multiple precipitants mainly and the main factor wassleep disorders; TTH mostly with single factor and the change of moodmainly. Trigger factors had no relationship with aura symptoms in migraine,but had some differences between episodic and chronic headache whichshould be treated separately. Gender differences were existed in both andmore obvious in females mostly.