Medically reviewed by Dr. Charisse Litchman, MD, FAHS on August 18, 2020
There are five main theories of what causes migraines:
- Changes in the electrical firing from your neurons (your brain cells) called Cortical Spreading Depression
- Changes in your serotonin levels
- Inflammation around your nerve cells
- Changes in the size of the vessels around your brain, called the vascular theory
- Release of a chemical called CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide)