Dealing With Migraine Triggers

For those that have never experienced such an intense headache such as a migraine, it is difficult to imagine just how painful one can be. A migraine headache is caused by an enlargement of blood vessels that creates a series of chemicals to be released and attack arteries in the brain. Once the chemicals have been released to wreak their havoc, the enlarging of the arteries begins to send painful symptoms that only magnifies until the arteries have stopped expanding or migraine relief has been found.

The pain associated with a migraine headache is so intense that a person becomes increasingly sensitive to light and sound which in return leaves them unable to function in an environment where light and noise are common occurrences. The increased sensitivity to light and sound makes it a challenge for one suffering from a migraine headache to function in their workplace effectively, when all they desire is a nice quiet dark place to lie down until the throbbing stops and sanity returns. It is hard to find sanity in the midst of miserable migraine symptoms this is why it is important to learn all you can about migraines, their development, what causes a migraine to develop and how to treat them safely and effectively.

We have briefly looked at how a migraine develops; a migraine is thought to be a neurological condition that causes a chemical reaction to occur in the body. When this chemical reaction occurs it sets off a series of miserable and somewhat debilitating symptoms that can force a migraine patient into seclusion until the pain recedes. The duration of a migraine can lasts anywhere from forty eight hours all the way up to seventy two hours. Some migraine sufferers have made claims to experience migraine pain up to fifteen days out of the month. This is an extraordinarily long time to have to endure migraine pain.

In order to reduce the effect that migraine headaches can have, migraine sufferers can be made aware of migraine triggers. Migraine triggers are not universal; therefore, not every migraine trigger listed will affect you like it may affect another migraine patient. Being made aware of the different migraine triggers can work as a migraine treatment. Avoiding the migraine triggers that directly influence or provoke a migraine attack can help lessen or reduce the number of migraine attacks experienced in a given year.

Migraine Triggers

One of the most commonly asked questions is what is causing the development of a migraine. Though the exact cause of migraines are unknown medical professional believe strongly in there being a driving force behind the onset of a migraine. Medical professionals believe that migraine triggers are part of the blame of a migraine headache forming. Migraine triggers can be either environmental or physiological upsets that set the stage for a migraine attack to develop. The following are a few of the most common migraine triggers. It is important  that a migraine sufferer be made aware of which particular triggers affect them personally.

• Stress
• Sleep – one’s sleeping habits can be a migraine trigger. Sleep deprivation, too much sleep or broken up sleep are all connected to headaches. Studies have shown that when sleep habits are improved migraine headaches are less current and have shorter duration.
• Fasting – a lack of nutrients to the body can reduce blood sugar levels setting off a series of stress-related hormones.
• Hormones – for women who experience migraines once a month around the time of their menstrual may be aware of menstrual migraines and how they can affect functionality. Some women during their monthly cycle lose estrogen and the loss of estrogen sets off a chemical imbalance and the result is a migraine.
• Lighting – flashing, bright high intensity and visually stimulating light sources can be a factor in developing painful migraine symptoms.
• Smells – cigarette smoke
• Alcohol
• Foods
  • Aged cheese
  • Chocolate
  • Caffeine – caffeine in small doses may have little effect on migraine sufferers but if overindulgence is had one can expect regular migraines.

One the migraine patient discovers which triggers affect him or her than he or she can do their best to avoid encountering them or implement a treatment as soon as an encounter has been made.

Tags: blurred vision, constipation, dizziness, Fatigue, hallucinations, migraine triggers, nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, strange food cravings, vertigo, vomiting, zigzag vision