Managing Migraine Triggers

Anyone who has heard or researched facts about migraine headaches has more than likely come across many different forms of information in regards to migraine triggers. Because of the amount of research and studies that have been completed on migraine triggers many people are encouraged by and have an increased hope for managing their migraine headaches. The research about how migraine triggers affect or put into action the beginning of a migraine attack is quite revealing, especially for those migraine sufferers who can recognize the list of common migraine triggers and realize that it does apply to their own personal migraine headaches.

What are the Migraine Triggers?
Migraine triggers do vary among those who suffer from migraine headaches. Every individual will experience differing degrees of symptom as well as varying migraine triggers. But after exhaustive research there is a list of the “commonly experienced” migraine triggers. Some of the most notable are listed below:

• Specific Foods – research has proven that there are specific foods known to be migraine triggers in those who are prone to suffer from migraine headaches. Some of those foods include items such as aged cheeses, chocolate, dairy products and many others. Understanding the personal migraine triggers that are food related are important for each migraine sufferer.
• Caffeine – while caffeine is thought to help cure headaches, and can be found in certain Over The Counter medications such as Excedrin migraine or others. Caffeine has actually been found to be one of the migraine triggers – this is because while caffeine can help to temporarily take the edge off of a headache the withdrawals from caffeine can actually induce migraines or become migraine triggers. This is why most physicians recommend that those who are prone to experiencing migraine headaches avoid caffeine.
• Alcohol – another item that when ingested has been researched to be a known factor for migraine triggers. Again, simple avoidance can reduce the frequency as well as severity of migraine in those who are prone to suffer from them.
• Certain Odors – migraine triggers vary among individuals and while not all people prone to migraines will have odor triggers, there are certain odors that are known migraine triggers. One specifically is that of cigarette smoke.
• Lighting – migraine triggers can also involve lighting. More specifically lighting that is flashing, bright, high in intensity, or stimulating can become migraine triggers in those that are prone to suffer from migraine headaches.
• Hormones – hormonal changes can also be migraine triggers, especially in females who experience migraine headaches.
• Stressors – research has proven that high stress levels can be legitimate migraine triggers in those who suffer from migraine headaches.

Management of stress is vitally important in those who regularly suffer from migraines as stress management can help to reduce the frequency as well as severity of the migraine attacks.

Tracking Migraines
It has been suggested by many researchers and doctors alike that migraine sufferers should track their migraines. A journal or diary that can be kept in order to help remember and pinpoint the circumstances that occurred before, during, and after a migraine attack can help to identify migraine triggers and thus prevent future migraine from occurring. Keeping track of environmental influences, physical factors, as well as foods that were eaten can make a huge different in pinpointing personal migraine triggers. Knowing the personal migraine triggers can change the course of treatment for a migraine sufferer and can allow for a more personalized approach to prevention and treatment of migraine headaches. This can be a difficult task if a migraine sufferer is dealing with the many symptoms that migraine attacks can bring on. However, focusing on the details of what occurs around a migraine headache and trying to figure out what the migraine triggers are can really make a difference. One suggestion is to start gradually by ruling some of the common migraine triggers out. If a person knows that lighting or smells are not one of their own personal migraine triggers then they can narrow it down to focusing on how stress or foods might affect them. Many physicians who treat migraine sufferers will recommend cutting out some of the foods that are known common migraine triggers and then gradually introduce them back into the diet in order to find out which (if any) of these are personal migraine triggers in a specific individual.

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