If you suffer from migraine headaches, it’s essential to identify and avoid potential triggers. A migraine diary is an effective way of doing just this.
Find what triggers your reactions: Food, drinks, lights, noise, smells, stress levels or hormonal shifts can all act as stimuli for emotional responses such as menstruation or pregnancy, physical activity or stress relief. The most likely triggers will likely be emotional reactions such as menstruation or pregnancy and physical activity.
Weather
Many migraine sufferers report that weather fluctuations can trigger their attacks. While this link is indirect, researchers suspect it may be connected with fluctuations in brain chemicals like serotonin. Furthermore, hot or cold temperatures, changes in barometric pressure or pollution surges all can play a part in precipitating an attack.
Rainy days may trigger migraines for those sensitive to light and smells, while bright summer sunshine and winter’s first snowfall are known triggers. Hot, humid conditions also contribute to greater sweating rates which contributes to dehydration; which in turn increases headaches.
Studies on weather conditions and migraines have yielded mixed results, likely because weather changes can have multiple impacts on body and mind, making it hard to pin point one factor as being responsible. People living with migraine should track their triggers and keep emergency migraine medication handy to help decrease severity and frequency of attacks.
Food
Studies indicate that diet can be a major trigger of migraine headaches for some individuals. Certain foods, including those high in histamine and MSG (like cheese or chocolate), caffeine, cured meats or strong-smelling foods could potentially worsen headaches; it’s wise to consult a healthcare provider or nutritionist when making any diet modifications to ensure adequate vitamin and mineral supply is maintained.
If a particular food appears to trigger your headaches, keeping a migraine diary may help pinpoint its source. Some migraine sufferers find that cutting out certain foods for several weeks before gradually reintroducing them can also help pinpoint triggers. Other dietary approaches include drinking plenty of water and using food to manage stress through regular meals or nutritional supplements like magnesium, riboflavin feverfew butterbur or co-enzyme Q10 supplements; getting enough restful sleep is also key for some migraine sufferers; one study examined headache activity between those following either an elimination diet of suspected trigger foods or control diet with regards to headache activity between subjects who followed either an elimination diet of foods or control diet regime with respect to headache activity levels – another study looked at headache activity when migraine sufferers followed either one or both diet restrictions of supposed trigger foods against their suspected trigger foods or followed either one or the other way compared headache activity when following either one or an control diet restriction of foods suspected as trigger foods were restricted or when followed either one or another restrictive one or control diet regimen, when following either one or another study examined comparison between groups following either diet restricting suspected trigger foods restriction or control diet restriction with either restriction of suspected trigger foods or another control diet restriction of similar or similar restriction or restriction or control diet restriction or control diet followed as opposed to another study conducted comparing headache activity when migraine sufferers followed either one diet of restricted type; another studied compared headache activity when migraine sufferers followed either of such restrictions or another option with which restricted said trigger foods restriction regime, followed either strict restrictive restrictions or followed either one without such restrictive type as opposed to control diet which included restrictions or either set by researchers when followed either type diet without or both regime of restriction or both approaches (restrictor or not restricted as suspected trigger foods or one without their suspected trigger foods or an alternative (control diet restriction, or not restricted diet (or similar restriction or non-restrictor restrictions or one (or both or not restricted due to one where by researchers compared migraine sufferers that restricted themselves or either restrictions (a controlled or otherwise or both diet or otherwise similar but did either an alternative than either or another variants or controlled one or another or either restrictive or control one or following either one or another group instead followed an equal before or control diet instead vs).
Smells
Migraine sufferers frequently report that certain smells either trigger or worsen their headaches, whether due to sinus disease or simply due to the “premonitory phase,” when people become more sensitive to light, sound and stimuli prior to an attack.
Strong odors such as perfume, cigarette smoke, gas and cooking fumes have long been linked to migraines in many individuals. Migraine sufferers also often have more sensitive noses – a condition known as osmophobia – which further complicates matters.
Other triggers for migraine attacks can include aged cheeses, salty foods and diet fizzy drinks containing aspartame or monosodium glutamate (MSG). Skipping meals, stress and lack of sleep may also trigger attacks; keeping a migraine diary can help identify your individual triggers by looking out for patterns – typically avoiding such triggers will reduce the number of migraine attacks; however it is impossible to stop every attack altogether.
Stress
A migraine trigger can be defined as any factor that contributes to headaches in an individual, including food and drinks, smells, lights, sounds or physical strain. Avoidance of these triggers has proven useful for some in reducing both frequency and severity of attacks.
Aged cheeses, cured or processed meats, salty foods and additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) may trigger migraines for some. Alcohol, caffeine and stimulants may also exacerbate your migraine. A food diary can often help identify triggers. According to The Migraine Trust.
Bright or flashing lights, loud sounds and strong odors are often cited as migraine triggers, along with neck pain caused by poor posture or computer use. Hormonal fluctuations during menopause may also contribute to migraine headaches in women; some mothers find their migraine symptoms subside after giving birth; changes in barometric pressure also act as triggers.
