One of the most challenging aspects of migraine, aside from the pain itself, is identifying what triggers it in the first place. While the cause of migraine has long eluded doctors and scientists, various triggers have been identified, including food chemicals, medications, hormonal changes, sensory stimuli, sleep, weather and stress. Despite this extensive list, some people remain unable to pinpoint their personal triggers. One emerging potential trigger worth considering is a tiny microbe that lives in our body, Candida albicans.

What is Candida albicans?

Candida albicans is a type of yeast commonly found in the oral, gastrointestinal and genital tracts. For instance, according to a study published in Frontiers in Microbiology the yeast lives in the mouths of 30 to 45 percent of healthy adults (1).

Under normal circumstances, this prolific human coloniser is kept in check by our native bacteria and immune system, contributing to our wellbeing by promoting gut health and nutrient absorption as well as aiding digestion. However if this symbiotic relationship is disturbed, such as in the case of antibiotic use, Candida albicans can grow out of control, leading to illness such as thrush and IBD (2), and perhaps even migraine.

Migraines and Candida

When your body becomes overgrown with Candida albicans it is referred to as candidiasis. A common cause of this yeast infection is the use of antibiotics which along with destroying the harmful bacteria, also removes beneficial microbes in your body, allowing Candida albicans to multiply in their place (3). These opportunistic pathogens can go onto cause disease, primarily in immunosuppressed individuals (4), but also healthy individuals (5).

Candida overgrowth and migraines was seen in a study where treatment for Candida albicans reduced the frequency and severity of migraine headaches in patients presenting with elevated levels of Candida antigen (a foreign substance which induces an immune response) (6). One way in which Candida antigens may lead to migraine is their ability to stimulate macrophages to produce prostaglandin E, which induces migraine headaches. Another trick up their sleeve is the potential for Candida albicans to affect platelet glycoproteins which can result in platelet aggregation and migraine headaches (6)

A compromised gut lining has long been implicated in a number of gastrointestinal conditions and recently migraine as well. Candida albicans have ‘tentacles’ which can tunnel into the protective gut lining causing it to become permeable, suggesting a possible connection between the microorganism and migraines.

Candidiasis has also been shown to affect the immune system. People suffering from long-term candidiasis commonly show suppressions of a key immune system cell type called monocytes. Tellingly, one study found that migraine sufferers displayed a marked decrease in monocytes (7).

Given that people who have yeast problems can commonly have migraines, the idea that candida, the immune system, the gut and migraine onset could be interrelated is an interesting proposition.

Conclusion

Research into the area of Candida albicans and migraine is limited at present, and while correlations have been found, it’s important to note that causal links are yet to be unveiled. That said, if you are currently trying to determine your own migraine tigers, candidiasis, and its treatment, is something you may wish to discuss with your GP. 

Brigid xx

References

(1) Patil, Shankargouda et al. “Clinical Appearance of Oral Candida Infection and Therapeutic Strategies.” Frontiers in microbiology vol. 6 1391. 17 Dec. 2015, doi:10.3389/fmicb.2015.01391

(2) Hall, Rebecca A., and Mairi C. Noverr. “Fungal interactions with the human host: exploring the spectrum of symbiosis.” Current Opinion in Microbiology, vol. 40, 2017, pp. 58-64. Science Direct, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369527416301813.

(3) “Candida Albicans.” Health Central, 2019, https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/candida-albicans. Accessed 12 April 2021.

(4) G.D. Brown, D.W. Denning, N.A. Gow, S.M. Levitz, M.G. Netea, T.C. White Hidden killers: human fungal infections Sci Transl Med, 4 (2012), p. 165rv113

(5) P.L. Fidel Jr., M. Barousse, T. Espinosa, M. Ficarra, J. Sturtevant, D.H. Martin, A.J. Quayle, K. Dunlap An intravaginal live Candida challenge in humans leads to new hypotheses for the immunopathogenesis of vulvovaginal candidiasis, Infect Immun, 72 (2004), pp. 2939-2946

(6) Heuser G. Candida albicans and migraine headaches: A possible link. Journal for the Advance of Medicine, 1992;5(3):177-187

(7) 2 V. Covelli, A. B. Maffione, and I. Munno, “Alterations of Nonspecific Immunity in Patients with Common Migraine,” Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis 4, no. 1 (1990): 9-15.