One of the biggest battles of migraine headaches is trying to figure out what triggers them. Migraine triggers range from person to person and situation to situation.
Food triggers
Researchers have a theory that some foods could release certain chemicals which can then lead to a migraine headache. Another theory is that some foods can stimulate specific regions of the brain, and cause a migraine headache. Common food triggers include cheese, chocolate, caffeine, soy sauce and aspartame. Also things like dehydration and skipping meals can cause migraine headaches.
Medication triggers
Medications such as oral contraceptives and drugs that cause dilation of blood vessels such as nitroglycerin can trigger migraine headaches.
Environmental triggers
A person’s environment leading up to and during a migraine headache can greatly influence the onset, length and intensity. Environmental triggers include bright lights or sun, loud sounds, repetitive flashing lights and scents/odors. It is common for someone with an intense migraine headache to want to be in a dark, familiar place, such as their bedroom.
Weather triggers
Changes in barometric pressure and weather can trigger a migraine headache.
Sleep triggers
Changes in someone’s sleep pattern can cause a migraine. There is a whole list of reasons that researchers suspect that is including the fact of the change in meal times can cause dips in sugar and serotonin levels. It is suggested that keeping the same sleep schedule even on days off and vacation is what’s best for migraine headache suffers.
Stress triggers
Stress at both home and work can trigger migraine headaches. Also, a common cause for “weekend headaches” is that the relief of relaxation after a long period of stress.
Hormonal triggers
Life events such as puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause can trigger migraine headaches. Since the body’s chemistry is changing menstruation can also trigger them. Typically the cause of this is that estrogen levels drop to their lowest levels.
Many people find that keeping a journal that includes everything they have done and eaten each day is the answer to finding most common migraine triggers. It may be multiple triggers are actually what cause your migraine headaches. Since everyone’s triggers are different, you could suffer from several of these or something else entirely different. The best way to know what triggers them is to see several repeat occurrences in your migraine journal.
Tags: environmental triggers, Food triggers, Hormonal triggers, Medication triggers, migraine headaches, migraine treatment, migraine triggers, Migraines, Sleep triggers, Stress triggers, treating migraines, Weather triggers
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