Various strong smells can cause severe headaches in half of migraine sufferers. A British study reveals that osmophobia is quite common.
What if a simple smell could trigger a migraine? This would be the case for one in two migraine sufferers, according to an English study. In a recent study, researchers suggest that what’s called osmophobia is more prevalent than you might think, and some smells play more than others.
Migraine affects 8 million French people. It manifests itself differently depending on the person: headache, nausea, vomiting, intolerance to light and / or noise, vision problems… Often, a strong odor could be at the origin of these attacks. Researchers from the University of Liverpool (United Kingdom) have identified different factors: perfumes, aerosols, cleaning products, frying, cigarette smoke.
A nerve inflamed by the smell
The palm goes to the onion. The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago (Illinois, USA) reports a case of allergy to the onion family. Within an hour, the person had all the symptoms of a migraine with aura, from headache to burning sensations to muscle tension.
According to the study, women are particularly sensitive to osmophobia: 7 out of 10 identify smells as a trigger for a migraine. The researchers explain it simply: the areas of the brain stimulated by smells are similar to those of emotions. “Depending on the case, the smell can stimulate the trigeminal nerve, leading to inflammation and pain from the migraine,” they say. The smell could also constrict blood vessels, which is identified as a factor in migraine.
Nothing can be done to solve this problem, except to avoid the odors responsible for migraines. On the other hand, the mishap of the woman allergic to onions revealed that peppermint would reduce the extent of the attacks.
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