how does a piece of bread cause a migraine?

lauren green , university of southern california

migraine is the third most prevalent illness in the world and causes suffering for tens of millions of people. in fact, nearly 1 in 4 u.s. household includes someone with migraines .

migraine is not just a headache but also includes a collection of associated symptoms that can be debilitating. these include nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity and dizziness. often people struggle to determine what triggers their migraines. it can be environmental, hormonal, genetic, secondary to an underlying illness, or triggered by certain foods , such as cheese, red wine or chocolate. one food that has received a lot of attention in recent years is gluten – a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.

celiac disease vs. gluten sensitivity

when someone suffers from celiac disease – a digestive disorder caused by an autoimmune response to gluten – there is a clear link between migraine headaches and gluten . gluten triggers immune cells to release antibodies to attack substances the body sees as foreign.

the problem is the person’s own healthy tissues gets destroyed in the process. in other words, when people who are sensitive to gluten consume it, the immune system sees this protein as an invader and creates antibodies to capture and destroy the protein. if the protein is sitting in the gi tract or has been absorbed by other organs, the antibodies go looking for it and attack whatever tissue is harboring the gluten protein .

step by step, how gluten leads to migraines

in recent years scientists have gained a better understanding of how and why migraines occur. migraine is now considered a genetic condition that is found commonly within families.

when tvp is activated by the presence of gluten, for example, it causes the release of many chemicals including histamine, a substance that immune cells produce when responding to injury, allergic and inflammatory events. the tvp nerves also produce a recently discovered trigger for migraines; a protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide (cgrp).

when cgrp is released it causes the dilation of blood vessels in the meninges – the layer of tissue protecting the brain. as the blood vessels dilate they leak water and proteins into the meninges which causes swelling and irritation . the swelling activates the trigenimial nerves which relay messages to other regions of the brain, including the thalamus which creates the perception of pain that is associated with a migraine.

within the past year a new class of medications has gained fda approval for migraine prevention. these medications are called cgrp monoclonal antibodies and have proven to be an effective preventative treatment. they stop the protein cgrp from getting into its receptor.

what to do about food triggers

lauren green , clinical assistant professor of neurology, university of southern california

this article is republished from the conversation under a creative commons license. read the original article .

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