![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
From The Migraine Brain: Your Breakthrough Guide to Fewer Headaches, Better Health by Carolyn Bernstein and Elaine McArdle, Kindle edition
This is a big thing. Those of you who know me know that there are lots of things I don't eat, or don't eat often, because they'll trigger a migraine. People who get migraines have brains that are hypersensitive to triggers, and when it encounters them, it gets agitated and sets off the changes that lead to migraines. Triggers do not CAUSE migraines, they simply light the fuse that leads to one. Triggers only work when a person is already primed for a migraine. There is a lot of variety in what can be a trigger. And you may have things that trigger you sometimes but don't others, or things that will always trigger a migraine. It may also take a combination of triggers to really set off a migraine.
Identifying triggers is important - it can help you possibly mitigate the chances of a migraine being set off if you have an idea of what will do it in the first place.
Here's a list of the most common triggers - it's not exhaustive, though:
Stress or tension - you can also get a letdown migraine which occurs AFTER a stressful event is over
Sleep issues - lack of sleep, too much sleep, other disordered sleeping - ideally, you should get 7 - 8 hours of restful sleep. As I don't know too many people that actually pull that off, this is a very common trigger.
Certain foods - not all trigger foods are guaranteed to trigger a migraine, but here are some that are commonly linked to migraines: aspartame, aged cheese, chocolate, MSG, processed meats, soy sauce, tyramine (this is an amino acid that is present in a lot of the foods I just listed), nitrates, citrus fruits, histamine (found in stuff like sauerkraut, tempeh, tofu, miso, tamari), sulfites
Hunger/low blood sugar
Alcohol - especially red wine
Hormonal changes (females only) related to menstrual cycle or pregnancy
Exercise
Strong smells
Cleaning fluids, chemicals, formaldehyde, other preservatives
Smoke, especially cigarette smoke
Bright lights
Loud, piercing, or repetitive noises
Caffeine - although this can also be a treatment, so go figure
Dehydration
Dust
Weather
Sex
Blow to the head
Dental issues
Travel - it can combine stuff like sleeping weird, noises, stress, not eating right, dehydration, weather and barometric pressure changes, etc.
Keeping a diary of your headaches with what you were eating, drinking, doing, dealing with, what the weather was like, how you were sleeping, what stage you're in of your menstrual cycle, etc. can help you figure out what might bring about a migraine. As you can probably tell, not all triggers are necessarily avoidable. But knowing what the triggers are can help reduce some occurrences, or give you ideas of possible ways to prevent a migraine.
Also, what triggers one person's migraine might have no affect on what triggers another person. I'm triggered by yogurt, for example. Why, I have no idea.
This is a big thing. Those of you who know me know that there are lots of things I don't eat, or don't eat often, because they'll trigger a migraine. People who get migraines have brains that are hypersensitive to triggers, and when it encounters them, it gets agitated and sets off the changes that lead to migraines. Triggers do not CAUSE migraines, they simply light the fuse that leads to one. Triggers only work when a person is already primed for a migraine. There is a lot of variety in what can be a trigger. And you may have things that trigger you sometimes but don't others, or things that will always trigger a migraine. It may also take a combination of triggers to really set off a migraine.
Identifying triggers is important - it can help you possibly mitigate the chances of a migraine being set off if you have an idea of what will do it in the first place.
Here's a list of the most common triggers - it's not exhaustive, though:
Stress or tension - you can also get a letdown migraine which occurs AFTER a stressful event is over
Sleep issues - lack of sleep, too much sleep, other disordered sleeping - ideally, you should get 7 - 8 hours of restful sleep. As I don't know too many people that actually pull that off, this is a very common trigger.
Certain foods - not all trigger foods are guaranteed to trigger a migraine, but here are some that are commonly linked to migraines: aspartame, aged cheese, chocolate, MSG, processed meats, soy sauce, tyramine (this is an amino acid that is present in a lot of the foods I just listed), nitrates, citrus fruits, histamine (found in stuff like sauerkraut, tempeh, tofu, miso, tamari), sulfites
Hunger/low blood sugar
Alcohol - especially red wine
Hormonal changes (females only) related to menstrual cycle or pregnancy
Exercise
Strong smells
Cleaning fluids, chemicals, formaldehyde, other preservatives
Smoke, especially cigarette smoke
Bright lights
Loud, piercing, or repetitive noises
Caffeine - although this can also be a treatment, so go figure
Dehydration
Dust
Weather
Sex
Blow to the head
Dental issues
Travel - it can combine stuff like sleeping weird, noises, stress, not eating right, dehydration, weather and barometric pressure changes, etc.
Keeping a diary of your headaches with what you were eating, drinking, doing, dealing with, what the weather was like, how you were sleeping, what stage you're in of your menstrual cycle, etc. can help you figure out what might bring about a migraine. As you can probably tell, not all triggers are necessarily avoidable. But knowing what the triggers are can help reduce some occurrences, or give you ideas of possible ways to prevent a migraine.
Also, what triggers one person's migraine might have no affect on what triggers another person. I'm triggered by yogurt, for example. Why, I have no idea.
Tags: