Seeing A Migraine Before It Hits

Migraine prevention is vitally important for the migraine sufferer who is trying to find the best possible form of treatment for their symptoms. Migraine prevention is important because no person wants to deal with symptoms like extreme head pain, blurred vision, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light and sound that occur during a migraine headache. In order to properly attain migraine prevention then individuals have to learn to recognize the migraine occurrence before it hits in full force. The only way to “see” a migraine before it hits is to know the triggers that might take place before the full blow migraine attack takes place.

Triggers

Migraine triggers differ in each migraine sufferer. Just like each person who experiences migraine headaches may not have every single symptom that could occur with migraine, so they may not present with every single trigger. However, it is important for individuals trying to find migraine prevention to understand what some of the common migraine triggers are so they will know what to look out for and what to be aware of that could be the cause of future migraine attacks. Most often migraine triggers will begin from a specific source (or even a combination of sources) such as environmental, physiological, or physical causes. There are many different triggers that can take place before a migraine occurrence but the top 10 to look out for are as follows:

1. Food Triggers – Common food triggers can include aged cheeses, figs, bananas, raisins, beer, hard liquor, fermented and pickled products, red wine, citrus fruits, passion fruit, red plums, seasoned salts, soy sauce, chocolate, peanuts and/or peanut butter, avocadoes, lentils, and of course MSG as well as numerous others not listed. Other common food triggers include dairy products (such as ice cream, milk, yogurt, cheese, or even sour cream). Again not ALL of these will trigger a migraine in those who are prone to them, but they are known migraine triggers, and should be considered when attempting to achieve migraine prevention.
2. Caffeine – is a common migraine trigger and should be avoided whenever possible for individuals seeking migraine prevention. It is important for indiviudals to remember that caffeine can be found in sodas (both regular & diet), coffee, teas, supplements, and chocolates. So remember to check the labels to make sure caffeine consumption is kept at a minimum.
3. Medications – certain medications that dilate blood vessels can be migraine triggers.  It is important to discuss with a physician all medications, both prescription and over the counter, to make sure that none of the medications are exacerbating the migraine headaches.
4. Emotions & Stress – these two are major migraine triggers. Emotions and stress, anger, conflict, depression, pressure, and even major life changes (even happy changes such as marriage or the birth of a child) can all trigger a migraine.
5. Overload – sensory overload is a huge migraine trigger. Sensory overload can occur in the sense of sight and/or smell. Triggers of sensory overload include smells like perfumes, cigarette smoke, ammonia, certain cooking odors, and paint thinners. Sight triggers can include bright and/or flickering lights, sunlight, or even something as simple as the movement of a car or train can trigger a migraine.
6. Physical Factors – Excessive activity or exercise can be migraine triggers. It is important for exercise to take place in order for migraine prevention to be achieved, but it must be completed in a proper way without overdoing it.
7. Sleep – Sleep can be a trigger for migraines if not attained properly. Migraine prevention comes with getting enough sleep but not too much. It is important for sleep to be a priority, and that when it does take place that deep sleep occurs in order for the body to achieve optimum rest and rejuvenation.
8. Watch the Weather – Changes in the weather or the altitude can also be migraine triggers. Seasonal, humidity, temperature, barometric pressure, and even air quality changes can all become migraine triggers. Watching the weather and knowing when these changes might take place, so that treatment and prevention techniques can be put in place, can become one of the steps in achieving migraine prevention.
9. Nutrition – It is recommended that those who are prone to migraines never skip meals because hunger can trigger a migraine attack. Migraine prevention can be achieved if skipping meals does not become a practice and if smaller meals are eaten throughout the day.
10. Hormonal Changes – It is a known fact that migraines occur much more often in women than in men, this is because of the hormonal changes that commonly trigger migraine headaches. Migraine prevention can be achieved if women can more fully understand how their migraines are affected during different times of the month and be able to plan proper prevention techniques around which times of the month they might be more prone to the migraine attacks.

Tags: Chronic migraine, constipation, Depression, emotional stress, Fatigue, migraine triggers, strange food cravings, symptoms, Throbbing, treating migraines, triggers