Migraine Triggers

Classic Migraines

Migraines are a burden to millions of people across the world and occur when arteries in the brain constrict and dilate, what actually makes this happen is still a relatively unknown phenomenon in the medical world, however there are certain things that can act as a migraine trigger. This page discusses these migraine triggers which can and do vary from person to person. We will provide a migraine trigger list and discuss in depth common triggers such as migraine food triggers.

Being able to identify what triggers migraines can go a great way in helping you achieve not adequate migraine treatment but also to prevent or avoid the risk of exposure to the cause of your migraine altogether. It is as simple as this, if you are walking outside in the rain you are going to get wet, to avoid getting wet altogether you stay indoors, or to reduce the chances of getting wet you put up your umbrella and then go outside. The principal is exactly the same when dealing with a migraine, there are ways to avoid or reduce the pain that you suffer from.

Migraine triggers can vary from a sight or sound to the chemicals that are found in certain foods, it is all about how your body and brain react to things.

Below is a migraine trigger list covering some of the most common causes of migraines.

Migraine triggers

• Foods - One of the most common migraine triggers and we will cover this in more detail further down the page.
• Chemicals - Chemical imbalances are common migraine triggers and these are often linked to your genetic makeup. Chemicals that you consume in certain foods are also frequently responsible for the onset of migraines. Please see our migraine food triggers section below for more information.
• Stress - Stress can bring on a number of medical conditions such as migraines, this can be both physical and emotional stress.
• Withdrawal symptoms from stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine
• Bright lights - You may be ultra-sensitive to bright lights, a condition called photophobia.
• Sounds - Sensitivity to loud noises which is a condition known as phonophobia can often act as a migraine headache trigger.
• Smells - It is possible for distinct smells such as certain perfumes, smoke or detergents to act as migraine triggers.
• Medication - Taking certain medications can trigger migraines as a side effect. It is always best to check out any medication before you take it, especially if you know that you are already prone to migraines.
• Sleep deprivation - Not getting enough sleep or changing your sleeping patterns can effect your body in a variety of negative ways and one of these is the onset of migraines.
• Hormone fluctuation - Menstruation and the menopause is a very common migraine trigger in women.
• High blood pressure - Treatment that you take for high blood pressure will help but if may be that this is the root cause of your migraine headaches triggers. If you think you may be suffering from high blood pressure contact your doctor to have it checked and also mention the fact that you need migraine help at the same time!
• Hereditary genes - If your parents suffer from migraines they can pass on the defective gene on and this can lead to you being prone to the condition too.
• Becoming upset - Getting upset and crying can act as a migraine trigger.
• Allergies - Hay fever and ragweed allergy for example can bring on migraines.
• The weather - This may sound a little far fetched but it is true that the weather is a migraine trigger. Changes in temperature and humidity, storms, dry and dusty conditions can all act as migraine triggers.
• Your sinuses - Also linked to allergies. Sinus pains originate in your head.
• Alcohol - Full of chemicals, if you drink this you may be prone to migraines way sooner than the infamous morning after hangover.

The above are all common migraine triggers experienced by the millions of migraine sufferers out there. It is a fact that women are three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men and this can be down to hormonal fluctuation experienced during menstruation and also pregnancy headaches than can develop into migraines.

There are a range of different migraine treatments available such as pain killing drugs but often simple natural ways to treat migraines can be very useful such as the use of relaxation techniques, one I recommend as a migraine sufferer is the use of guided imagery. For more details on migraine relief please see our dedicated page.

Migraine food triggers

It is important to remember that certain foods can act as migraine triggers and this can be mainly due to certain chemicals that are inside them. A chemical even in the tiniest of quantity can cause havoc inside your body. This is not to say that a food is a headache trigger for everyone as this is not the case at all. Everybody's genetic makeup is different and a food that may be a migraine trigger in one person may not be in another. it is also worth remembering that these foods may just be the small part of a bigger picture and that any number of the above migraine triggers can combine to case your migraine. Obviously if you can clearly recognise that eating a certain food or drinking a certain drink is a causing you migraines, such as alcohol, it makes sense to avoid this and see what the results are. I say alcohol as this can be a common migraine trigger, it is full of chemicals and anyone that has ever had a hangover can testify to it having at least some sort of effect on their head! Some people can drink it and begin to experience a migraine way before the morning after!

Below are a list of foods that are known migraine triggers.

• Alcohol
• Anchovies
• Avocadoes
• Benzoic acid - A common food preservative
• Cheese
• Chicken liver
• Chocolate
• Dairy products
• Dried fruits
• Dried meats
• Gluten - Can cause migraine headache triggers which are a symptom of gluten intolerance
• MSG - The common name for monosodium glutamate, a taste enhancer which is used in almost all processed foods
• Nuts
• Peanuts
• Peanut butter
• Sauerkraut
• Sodium nitrate - A common food preservative found in bacon, hot dogs and cured meat
• Soup - Canned and from the packet
• Soya - Anything soya related
• Yeast - Some bread and yeast products can act as migraine triggers
• Yogurt

As far as preservatives and other compounds that can trigger not only migraines but a variety of other issues, it is always smart to read the label before you eat something new!

We hope that our page of migraine triggers has been of use to you and that you also take the time to check out the other pages on our site such as migraine relief, how to cure a migraine and also types of migraine. We also have a thorough guide of the symptoms of a migraine as these are not quite as obvious as you would think, there is more to a migraine than a sore head!