How Location & Lifestyle Influence Migraine Triggers
Key Questions
- What are the main categories of migraine triggers identified across Asian populations, and how do they vary by region?
- Why are stress and sleep common triggers everywhere, and how can relief from stress or oversleeping also provoke attacks?
- What local factors make fatigue and weather sensitivity frequent triggers in East Asia?
- How does fasting, such as during Ramadan, affect migraine? Can the brain adapt to repeated triggers?
- Why is alcohol reported as a trigger less often in Asian populations? Is it the alcohol, other ingredients, or disrupted sleep that matters most?
- How can people track triggers without becoming hypervigilant or overwhelmed by that awareness?
- What distinguishes a true trigger from a premonitory symptom, like sudden hunger or light sensitivity?
- What does research show about how tobacco smoke triggers migraine, and is secondhand smoke also a factor?
- Can modern preventive medications, such as CGRP inhibitors, reduce sensitivity to known triggers?
- Is barometric pressure a trigger for everyone, and what have controlled studies revealed?
- Where is the best place to start when taking action on triggers?
- Which behavioral or lifestyle changes related to sleep, stress, and meal timing are most controllable?
- What emerging research, including new medications and “situational prevention,” offers hope for better trigger management?
Interview Notes
- Tsubasa Takizawa, MD, PhD
- LinkedIn: Tsubasa Takizawa
- Study: “Effects of passive smoking on cortical spreading depolarization in male and female mice”
- Narrative Review: “Migraine triggers in Asian countries: a narrative review”
- Study: “Migraine attacks triggered by ingestion of watermelon”
Treatments Mentioned
- Behavioral/psychological therapies
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- CGRP Inhibitors
- CGRP monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)
- Galcanezumab (Emgality)
- Hydration
- Lifestyle management
- Relaxation and meditation
- SEEDS (sleep, eating, exercise, diary, stress)
For Additional Links and Resources, click here.
Disclaimer: The Migraine World Summit aims to bring you a variety of perspectives and expertise, free from bias or judgment. Alternative theories presented in this video have not been medically reviewed. Views expressed in this interview do not necessarily represent the views of the Migraine World Summit. Please always consult your health care professional and do your own research before making changes to your treatment plan.
Tsubasa Takizawa, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology
Keio University School of Medicine
Dr. Tsubasa Takizawa is a neurologist and headache specialist at Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo, where he leads research within the Department of Neurology’s Headache Group. He earned his medical degree from Keio University and was a research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School for two years, studying experimental models of cortical spreading depolarization — the brain mechanism thought to underlie migraine aura.
Dr. Takizawa’s research bridges laboratory and clinical settings to better understand what initiates migraine attacks and how emerging therapies work in real-world practice. He has been published widely on migraine mechanisms, treatment responses, and the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathways.
His expertise offers unique insight into how migraine triggers arise and how science is helping to turn that understanding into more effective prevention strategies.
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The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses (such as arthritis, osteoporosis, migraine, psoriasis, asthma, alopecia, inflammatory bowel disease, and cardiovascular disease) by advocating for improved access to health care at the community, state, and federal levels, and amplifying education and awareness efforts within its social media framework.
