A genome-wide association study reveals that there are three specific genes that appear more frequently in the DNA of migraine sufferers than in the genes of those who do not get migraine headaches. One of these genes only seems to affect women. It is entirely possible that a person can inherit those genes from her parents, and end up having migraines.
Does someone in your family suffer from migraines? Chances are that person is female, and that she is not the only female relative or ancestor on your family tree that has a tendency to get these debilitating types of headaches. Previous studies about the causes of migraines reveals that if a woman gets migraines, there is a 70% to 80% chance that her daughters will also end up being someone who suffers from migraines.
Migraines are severe forms of headaches that can make the person who suffers from it completely debilitated for the entire day, (and sometimes longer). Specific symptoms can vary from one person to the next.
Common symptoms include severe pain on one or both sides of the head, that is bad enough to cause a person to feel nauseated, (or to vomit). People can become very sensitive to light and sound while experiencing a migraine. Some people will see a visual disturbance called an aura before their migraine headache begins.
A study that was published in the British journal called Nature Genetics found certain genetic variations that showed up very frequently in patients that were prone to getting migraine headaches. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, looked at the genomes in 23,230 women. Out of that group, 5,122 were migraine sufferers.
They found two genetic variations that linked to migraine headaches, and not to other types of headaches. One is called PRDM16 and the other is called TRPM8. The second one, TRPM8, only links to migraines in women. This is on the gene that contains a genetic blueprint for a pain sensor, (in both men and women).
Scientists also suspect that another gene, called LRP1, has involvement with sensing the external world, and also with the chemical pathways that exist inside the brain. This, too, can potentially be involved in what makes a person have migraine headaches. The gene connects with certain neurotransmitter pathways, and is thought to perhaps be able to promote or suppress migraine attacks.
In other words, there are some identifiable genetic traits that indicate that a person is someone who suffers from migraine headaches. The pain, nausea, and sensitivities to light and sound are not “all in your head”. It would be more appropriate to say that its all “in your genes”.
Image by Pedro Vera on Flickr