Migraine: 10 Possible Causative Agents
Exaggerated sensory stimuli, from bright lights to loud noises or strong smells, can be triggers for migraine headaches. There are people who are also affected by weather changes.
Many people suffer from migraines, but these are not your typical headaches. Usually, l os attacks include throbbing or pulsating pain that may be accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound.
For affected people, the attacks can sometimes feel like they were random. However, one strategy that can help is identifying potential triggers. For example things, situations or activities that have a high probability of getting a migraine.
Keep in mind that triggers vary from one person to another, and even from one day to the next. Determining and managing personal triggers can be an empowering exercise.
This will give you more control over your migraines, especially when combined with an overall healthy lifestyle. This is possible by including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress management. Here are the 10 migraine triggers that apply to everyone.
1. Routine changes in sleep
The brain of people who suffer from migraine likes things to be as normal and reliable as possible, that is, the same routine. That includes your sleep schedule. Actually, if we sleep little or experience jet lag it can trigger a migraine attack.
Ideally, always try to get up at the same time every day, even Saturday and Sunday. It sounds harsh, but it’s worth it, not only can headaches be avoided, but it will also help your sleep.
By changing your body clock several hours at the end of each week, you force the body into a fixed jet lag. This may cause sleep and health problems in the future.
2. Stress
It makes sense that stress is a migraine trigger for many people. But it turns out that this is usually the relaxation period after stress.
The body’s stress response increases the levels of various chemicals that then drop once we calm down. That chemical change could be what triggers your migraine. This would explain why a seizure can strike on the first day of vacation, the day after leaving a stressful job, or at the beginning of your honeymoon.
3. Rain
A study published in the journal Neurology, carried out by a team of scientists from Harvard University (USA) in more than 7,000 patients, found that meteorological changes, such as an increase in temperature and a decrease in atmospheric pressure, were factors that increased the risk of suffering from headaches.
Since we cannot control the weather, you can take extra care to avoid other triggers on rainy days.
4. Estrogen fluctuations and migraine
Hormone fluctuations can trigger migraines, due to various factors such as:
- Menopause
- The menstruation.
- Pregnancy or postpartum.
- Birth control pills.
What’s more, they can also lower your migraine threshold, which means you may be more susceptible to other triggers.
5. A perfume
That strong smell is more than annoying for some migraine sufferers. Therefore, it is enough to trigger an attack. Sensory stimuli can also be responsible for the headache. Some of them are the following:
- Bright lights (including the sun, computer screen, or movie screen brightness).
- Strong odors (such as perfume or cigarette smoke).
- The shrill noises.
6. Some foods
Foods that contain these elements can cause a migraine attack:
- Tyramine: includes red wine, aged cheeses, certain processed meats, and pork, among others.
- Tannins Including red wine, tea, coffee and apple juice.
Other food additives, including monosodium glutamate, aspartame, and nitrites could be responsible for the headache. Again, though, a lot of the data is anecdotal and unscientific at this point.
In people with celiac disease or a gluten allergy it can also cause migraines. Keeping a journal can help you locate the foods that you think might be causing your headaches.
7. Coffee (both drink it and not drink it)
Drinking coffee works both ways. In other words, excess caffeine can trigger a headache.
On the contrary, for heavy drinkers not getting their ration can also trigger migraines. This can also be the culprit for your weekend headaches if you’re a heavy coffee drinker all week at the office and not at home.
8. Alcohol
The body metabolizes alcohol into acetate, which could cause a migraine. To avoid pain, it is suggested to drink in moderation, consuming food with alcohol. While all alcohol can trigger migraines, dark-colored liquors like tequila, whiskey, and red wine seem to be worse.
9. Physical effort
Physical exertion can trigger a headache. Although the exact cause of exercise-induced migraines is not fully understood. It could be due to a chemical change in the brain. It would especially occur among those who are beginning to exercise. In this sense, the ideal is to train periodically.
10. Avoid lunch
Once again, routine is the key for migraine sufferers. Skipping a meal or fasting can trigger a migraine attack. It is not known why, but it could have something to do with low glucose levels. Either way, it is important to eat regularly when possible to avoid an attack.
Migraine is a condition that requires treatment
In addition to taking into account all the triggers that we discuss throughout the article, it is important to remember that migraine is a neurological disease. As such, it requires treatment indicated by a specialist. If you suffer from this condition and you still do not have medical control, we recommend you go to a neurologist as soon as possible.
