Migraine Attacks
The frequency of migraine attacks varies greatly from one individual to another. Some people have a few per year, while others have 3 or 4 times per month. In some cases, seizures may occur several times a week, but rarely a day.
The first seizures appear during childhood or young adulthood. Beyond age 40, headaches are more rare and often disappear after 50 years.
Mechanisms of migraine
It is unclear why some people have headaches, tension headaches or migraines, and others have simply never, even if they are exposed to the same triggers.
Years 1960 to 1990, it was believed that migraines were caused mainly by vascular changes, a tightening of blood vessels surrounding the brain, followed by swelling. However, research carried out subsequently showed that the origin of migraine is much more complex. Indeed, a whole cascade of reactions in the nervous system that cause this intense headache. These chain reactions have effects not only on blood vessels, but also on inflammation, neurotransmitters and other elements.
Without a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of migraine, we know still better and better triggers (see Risk Factors) and ways to combat it.