Migraine triggers and lifestyle modifications: an assessment of patients' awareness and the role of healthcare providers in patient education.

Background and objectives: Lifestyle modifications and coping with migraine triggers have a crucial role in migraine management. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of patients with migraine about triggers, managing strategies for these triggers, and the counselling provided by physicians regarding these topics.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of migraine through an online survey to assess their knowledge of common migraine triggers, whether the healthcare provider had discussed migraine triggers or recommended lifestyle modifications, and strategies followed to manage migraine triggers.

Results: Five hundred fifteen patients with migraines responded to the survey, with a median age of thirty-one years. Only 43% thought they had sufficient knowledge about migraine triggers. Stress got the highest awareness level (93.4%), followed by sleep-related issues. About 40% of participants were aware of certain food triggers. While 63.1% of participants said their physicians had addressed lifestyle changes to help reduce migraines, only 28.3% reported actively managing their migraine triggers. The most frequently discussed aspect was sleep hygiene improvements (78.1%), followed by stress management techniques (68.7%), and dietary modifications (59.8%). Regarding the approaches applied for migraine management, following a consistent sleep schedule, stress management techniques, and a specific diet were reported by 54.0%, 49. 5%, and 34.0%, respectively. Moreover, only 18% keep a detailed migraine diary to track their triggers.

Conclusion: Addressing migraine triggers and coping strategies should be integrated into migraine management to reduce reliance on medications and activate personalized plans to optimize outcomes.