Can Air Pollution, Weather, or Heat Trigger Migraines? With Prof Gal Ifergane
Many people living with migraines say they can "feel a storm coming" before an attack. But is there scientific evidence that environmental exposures can influence migraine risk?
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Professor Gal Ifergane, neurologist and headache specialist, about his research on migraines and the environment. The conversation explores how air pollution, heat, solar radiation, and weather conditions may help lower the threshold for migraine attacks in people who are already susceptible.
Professor Ifergane explains why migraine is often considered a threshold disorder, where genetics, biology, and environmental exposures may all interact to influence when an attack occurs.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• Can air pollution trigger migraines?
• Are weather-related migraines real?
• Can heat, sunlight, or solar radiation increase migraine risk?
• How researchers study environmental migraine triggers
• Why some people may be more sensitive to environmental exposures than others
• What these findings could mean for migraine prevention
If you've ever wondered whether your surroundings—not just your brain—could influence migraine attacks, this episode explores what the current science says.
About Professor Gal Ifergane:
Professor Gal Ifergane is a neurologist, headache specialist, and clinical researcher who serves as Head of the Neurology Department and Chair of the Brain Medicine Division at Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, Israel. He is also a faculty member at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
His research focuses on migraine, headache disorders, stroke, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the effects of environmental exposures on neurological health. His work examines how factors such as air pollution, heat, and weather conditions may influence migraine risk and severity, with the goal of improving prevention and treatment for people living with migraine and other neurological disorders.
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