There are many recognized contributors to increased migraines. But some are saying that migraines may actually be genetic. When you get a migraine, it probably runs in your family, and you have a specific gene that can lead to greater problems. They have pinpointed just one gene that they say can help you to get a heightened risk of common types of migraines including those with and without aura. But the link between genetics and migraines with aura is slightly stronger.

Published in the August 29th edition of Nature Genetics, researchers conducted a study on more than 6,000 people diagnosed with migraine headaches as well as 50,000 people without migraines. They found that those with migraines had a higher prevalence of this given gene. It is a variant on chromosome 8 between the MTDH and PGCP. It was stated that about 26% of those with migraines suffered from this problem as opposed to 18 to 20% of those who did not have it. It doesn’t seem like a large differential. But according to this study, they seem to think it is.

Before and since then, they have discovered that more women than men suffer from migraines, at 17% of women compared to 8% of men. And there are of course rarer forms of migraines that are familialy linked. They still have to do more studies. The differences are small, and you will find that they have not repeated this study as of yet, as it has been so recent.

But the basic belief is that 70-80% of migraines is genetic. The other parts are connected to stress levels, diet, and other factors that are actually under your control as well as some diseases that are not. There are different types of migraines, and there are other things that factor into it.

However, genetically linked or not, at this time, the treatment options remain the same it would seem. There are many different options, and you will find that you can get both over the counter and prescription as well as others that are herbal versus FDA approved. The basic idea is to alleviate the pain involved and alleviate the triggers that are causing it.