Migraines and riboflavin deficiency are linked with each other, as stated by Dr. Tonia M. Sabo, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of Colorado.

Riboflavin levels were taken of 17 children ages 5 to 18 who were suffering from migraines. The Erythrocyte Glutathione Reductase (EGR) test was used to measure riboflavin levels. Participants were classified as deficient if their EGR was below 90% of the suggested range, and were classified as low if their EGR was below 80% of this.

All pediatric migraine subjects in the study were assumed to have sufficient nutritional stores. Even so, 47% of these children were found to be deficient in riboflavin, and an additional 11% of the participants were found to be low in riboflavin.

As a result of this study, Dr. Sabo believes that the problem may lie in the metabolism of certain nutrients, which places these children at risk for migraines.  Riboflavin is essential for proper metabolism, and therefore a lack of this vitamin seems to lead to migraines.

It was concluded from this study that increasing the intake of riboflavin may be an alternative remedy for those suffering from migraines.

The primary risk factor of migraines is genetics. Researchers have found that 70% to 80% of people with this condition have a family history of migraines.

Migraines affect more women than men. Nearly 75% of people afflicted are women. There seems to be some correlation between female hormones and migraines. Examples of such hormones are estrogen and progesterone. Throughout a woman’s cycle, levels of these hormones increase and decrease, and cause migraines in those who are migraine-prone.

About 5 – 10% of children suffer from migraines. In contrast to adults, boys and girls suffer equally, but are less likely to have migraines when they reach adulthood. Some girls experience migraines more frequently after puberty, but puberty is not the cause of migraines.

The majority of people suffering from migraines are between 15 and 55 years of age.

There are medical conditions that have a tendency to be present in people with migraines. These include depression, epilepsy, anxiety, high blood presser and stroke. They do not cause migraines nor do they increase the likelihood of a person developing a migraine. Yet, these problems may accompany migraines.

Some migraines can be indicative of a more serious medical condition. Here is a list of symptoms that would necessitate a visit to a doctor:

1. A very sudden headache that gets progressively worse, and may include nausea, vomiting or dizziness (may be caused by a stroke).
2. A spontaneous headache that is worse than any other headache (may be caused by an aneurysm).
3. Terrible headaches that start after age 50.
4. Headaches that are followed by impaired memory or balance, dizziness, numbness or tingling in extremities (may be caused by a stroke).
5. Headaches that get worse with coughing or sneezing (may be an infection in the brain).
6. Headache that sets in following an injury to the head (may be caused by a hemorrhage).
7. Headaches that are present simultaneously with a fever (may be caused by spinal meningitis).
8. A pulsating pain around the eye that may spread to the ear or neck and is not alleviated by pain medication (may indicate a blood clot).

Those who suffer from migraines may benefit from Migravent, a dietary supplement made specifically for migraines.

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine conducted a study of migraine sufferers (Neurology; February 2010). Questionnaires were given to over 6,000 people with migraines and over 5,000 people without. The results indicated a strong correlation between migraines and cardiovascular risk.

Richard B. Lipton and his colleagues found that those who suffered from aura (visual hallucinations) and migraines were three times as likely to experience heart attacks as those without migraines. Furthermore, migraine sufferers were more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

One of the implications of this study is that doctors need to be aware of a migraine sufferer’s potential health risks, not only quality of  life issues.

An article in Scientific American (August 2008) attempts to explain the causes of migraines.

People who are prone to migraines may think that they are caused by stress, menstruation, sleep deprivation, exercise, etc. But, these same triggers don’t cause migraines in the majority of the population.

It was believed that a decrease in blood flow causes a migraine. New research, however, shows that immediately prior to the onset of a migraine, blood flow is increased by 300 percent.  When the migraine occurs, surprisingly, there is a normal blood flow.  Does this increased blood flow cause the migraine?

Studies of the aura condition which presents itself prior to the onset of migraines has given scientists a better understanding of migraines. Cortical spreading depression creates this aura. Cortical spreading depression is a minefield of nerve cell activity that occurs in the outer layer of the cortex, in the area of the brain that controls vision.   (This would explain the aura.) This is followed by a resting phase of the neurons.

Area of cortex that controls vision:

It is possible that the increase in blood flow prior to a migraine is necessary to provide the neurons with the energy they need to fire off signals.

Nerve cell activity is maintained by the flow of sodium, potassium and calcium ions across the nerve cell membrane. The gatekeepers of these ions are pumps. Basically, the pumps make sure that a nerve cell at rest has a large amount potassium, but low amounts of sodium and calcium.

In a migraine sufferer, the pumps and channels are defective. Scientists have isolated three genetic mutations that are each capable of being responsible for causing migraines.

Even so, genetics alone do not account for migraines. There are studies of identical twins where one twin will suffer from migraines and the other will not.

We are the manufacturers of Migravent, a dietary supplement that contains magnesium. According to PubMed, studies have shown the effectiveness of magnesium in calming the hyperactive nerve cells of migraine sufferers.

A migraine is a neurological condition characterized by severe headaches. The word migraine comes from the Old French word migraigne. This French term is based on the Late Latin word hemicrania, which originates from the Greek work hemikrania. The Greek word is a combination of “half” and “skull”.

Most people will search for information on migraines using Google as their primary search engine. According to statistics by Google, over 1, 500,000 people each month search for information using the term “migraine.” Other search terms used include “migraine headache,” which is searched by 135,000 people each month.

Interesting combinations of words are also searched on Google, too.  These word groupings include “migraine treatments” (searched by 4,400 each month), “ocular migraine” (searched by 22,000 monthly) and “menstrual migraine” (6,600 monthly).

Sometimes the word “migraine” is misspelled. This results in some very creative ways that information is searched in Google. For example, the misspelled word “migrane” is searched by 74,000 individuals each month! Another form of the same word is “migranes,” which is searched by 27,000 people each month.

We are the manufacturers of Migravent, a dietary supplement that benefits people with migraines.

A study performed by scientists at the Jefferson Headache Center of Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience highlights the prevalence of cutaneous allodynia.  This is a condition which makes people experience pain as a result of light touch, which is also common in people with migraine pain.

This study was done on 41 patients who experienced either chronic or episodic headaches. The researchers took a gauze pad and lightly brushed it over the patients’ foreheads, necks and forearms. Half of these reported feeling pain when their foreheads were gently brushed with the gauze pad, a telltale sign of allodynia.

Hopefully, this study will lead to a better understanding of cluster headaches and migraine pain.

The editors of Prevention Magazine (http://www.prevention.com/health/; July, 2006) list five myths of migraines.

1. “I would know if it were a migraine.” As it turns out, half of all migraine victims are not being properly treated, because they don’t know what a migraine is or the doctor misdiagnosed it. Therefore, if a person cannot obtain relief of a headache through traditional pain killers, he/she should go to a doctor.
2. “Migraines are just bad headaches.” In truth, a migraine is a serious condition, and not a symptom of another problem. Symptoms of a migraine include a pounding headache, which usually comes with nausea and distortion of light and sound. These episodes can last anywhere from four hours to three days. Also, migraines runs in families. If one parent suffers, chances are that half of his offspring will, too.
3. “Migraines are caused by stress.” Unfortunately, in people with a propensity towards migraines, stress may trigger the migraine, but it is not the ultimate cause. The real culprit is a neurological disorder which may be genetic, as mentioned previously.
4. “You always  see an aura before a migraine.” Actually, less than a third of those suffering from migraines experience the telltale aura prior to the onset of a migraine.
5. “You can cure migraines by avoiding specific foods.” Although it’s true that avoiding certain foods – such as alcohol and cheese – may prevent migraines, this activity won’t cure them. The reason is that migraines are a neurological disorder, and can still be triggered by things besides food in people with a disposition towards migraines.

Obviously, not all triggers can be prevented or anticipated. We are the manufacturers of Migravent, a dietary supplement that benefit people with migraines.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (June, 24, 2009) shows that migraine headaches can cause brain lesions later on in life.

Migraines are severe headaches accompanied by sensitivity to light or sound, and often nausea or vomiting. Women are affected with migraines four times more often than men.

Some people who have migraines experience an aura beforehand. It is believed that a decrease in blood flow to the brain causes this. This aura is a visual disturbance, which makes a person see circles, squares, jagged lines or an alteration of things he sees.

A new study was done by the National Institute on Aging (of the U.S. National Institutes of Health). This study was based on data obtained from the Icelandic Heart Association, who interviewed 4,689 people for headaches.

Those reporting two or more headaches per month were asked to give details about their migraine symptoms.

Approximately twenty-five years later, these same individuals were questioned again, and were subjected to MRI scans of the brain. It was found that 17% of women had migraine headaches, compared to only 6% of men. Furthermore, the MRI scans showed that there were more women with lesions on the cerebellum of the brain than men. Women with aura were even more likely to have lesions.

A lesion is defined as tissue which has died as a result of a decrease in the supply of oxygen to the area, possibly due to a disruption of blood flow.

This study demonstrates the need for further research to determine the consequences of these lesions, and the need for migraine prevention.

Our product, Migravent, is a dietary supplement used by many of our customers to help prevent migraines.

Dr. E. A. MacGregor discusses management of migraines. (The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health; http://rsh.sagepub.com; February, 1992).

There are different activities and foods that could bring on a migraine. Together, these are known as “triggers.”

Dr. MacGregor identifies the most common triggers:

1. hunger
2. cheese, chocolate, alcohol, coffee, citrus fruits
3. disruption of sleep
4. women experiencing hormonal changes
5. head and neck pain
6. changes in environment – bright lights, loud noises, powerful odors
7. too much exercise (if a person is not used to it)
8. travel
9. stress

Dr. E. A. MacGregor points out that patients have stated that sometimes certain triggers cause a migraine to occur, and sometimes they don’t. More often than not, a combination of triggers will bring on a migraine in one person, but a single trigger will not. The point at which a combination of triggers will bring on a migraine is called the “attack threshold.” This attack threshold is different for everybody.

The advice, therefore, is to keep a daily diary. By paying close attention to possible triggers (or combinations of them), the times of the day and the severity of the migraine, a person might be able to help control their migraines without assistance.

Obviously, not all triggers can be prevented or anticipated. We are the manufacturers of Migravent, a dietary supplement that benefits people with migraines.