Migraine Trigger Scoring Calculator

The most common triggers are: stress (70%), hormonal changes (65% of women), sleep disruption (50%), weather/barometric pressure changes (50%), skipped meals (40%), dehydration (40%), caffeine withdrawal (30%), and bright/flickering lights (30%). Most migraines result from multiple simultaneous triggers.

See a doctor if you have 4+ migraine days per month, migraines significantly affect your daily life, over-the-counter medications are not effective, you use acute medications more than 10 days/month, or you experience new or changing headache patterns. A neurologist specializing in headache medicine can offer the most comprehensive care.

The trigger threshold theory suggests everyone has a migraine threshold -- an accumulation of triggers needed to provoke an attack. Individual triggers may not cause a migraine alone, but combined exposure (poor sleep + stress + weather change) can push you over threshold. Managing controllable triggers raises your effective threshold.