Migraine with aura (classic migraine) is a headache that strikes along with sensory disturbances called aura. These disturbances can include flashes of light, blind spots and other vision changes or tingling in your hand or face. Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Some people can tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines or they temporarily lose their vision. Common migraine triggers include: anxiety, stress, lack of food or sleep, exposure to light, hormonal changes (in women)
Migraines and other forms of primary headache are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. MTHFR C677T is the most studied in relation to migraines. The MTHFR gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase - an enzyme required for the multistep process that converts the amino acid homocysteine to another amino acid, methionine. A defect in this enzyme leads to elevated homocysteine levels - hyperhomocysteinaemia. Studies1 have demonstrated that moderate hyperhomocysteinaemia produces a neurotoxic effect.
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