What Factors Increase My Risk Of Developing Different Types Of Headaches?

— -- Question: What Factors Increase My Risk Of Developing Different Types Of Headaches?

Answer: When we call the primary headaches-migraines, tension, cluster headaches-those headaches are generally seen as genetic in origin, that you develop at least a genetic tendency towards them. So there's not much you can do about that, you can't choose your parents, but you can look towards other issues.

What other risk factors might we see?

Well, for migraine, tension, and cluster, head trauma. So, head trauma's a risk factor, so avoiding situations that might place you at risk. Obviously, boxing as an occupation would not be a great choice.

And otherwise, the other key risk factor for those headaches I've mentioned, the only one we've seen is smoking for cluster headache. Smoking is a risk factor for the development of cluster headaches, but otherwise, we don't know a lot about risk factors for migraine, for tension, or for cluster. It's more or less if it runs in your family, or if you're a person who's prone to them, and it's going to develop regardless of what you do.

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