10 Common Migraine Triggers and How to Control Them
Migraine attacks are usually accompanied by headaches that are severe and unbearable. According to research, migraine is three times more common in women than men. If you are affected by migraines, you will see flashing lights or zigzag lines and may even experience temporary loss of vision.
Continuous feeling of vomiting, nausea, and increased sensitivity to light and sound are some of the most common migraine symptoms.
Things like light and sound can trigger migraine attacks. One common cause that leads to migraines is different chemicals affecting your body and making changes to your nerves and composition of blood vessels.
You can also experience difficulty in vision and a throbbing headache. Let’s look at some of the common migraine triggers that are reported by individuals commonly affected by it:
Caffeine
A human brain needs adenosine to control the blood activity in the body. Caffeine is a major cause of fluctuations in the adenosine levels in the brain. Adenosine, when blocked by the level of caffeine in one’s body, can affect the normal functioning and result in severe headaches. It is, therefore, important that you monitor your caffeine intake if you are affected by migraines.
Stress
Stress is nothing but mental strain to your body.
Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the other common migraine triggers. It is not known how alcohol can cause migraines, and it is also a topic of research for many years now. Evidence suggests that the byproducts of alcohol like tyramine and ethanol can widen the blood vessels and result in migraine attacks. Too much alcohol consumption can also lead to many other serious health concerns and, therefore, you should limit your alcohol consumption.
Menstruation
Studies show that migraine attacks are more common in women than in men and the major cause of it is the hormonal and psychological changes that take place during the menstruation cycles. Menopause releases estrogen in the blood and an excess of this hormone can lead to a migraine attack. Healthy food and sleep can control the estrogen levels and prevent migraine attacks to a great extent.
Hunger
Hunger is also considered to be one of the most common migraine triggers and they are usually termed as hunger headaches that cause your blood sugar levels to fall. You can easily overcome this by eating at regular intervals.
Working on a computer for extended periods
The electromagnetic waves that come from looking at the computer for extended period of time can also lead to migraine attacks. This can aid in being a cause of chronic headaches as your job would demand you to look at the screen throughout the day. Taking enough breaks, adjusting the screen light, and maintaining the correct sitting posture can help in curing chronic headaches.
Perfumes
A particular fragrance can also trigger migraine headaches. The fragrance from perfumes is sometimes termed as irritants as they tend to affect your brain activity. They do the same thing that allergens do. You may get affected by strong fragrances of perfumes and the outcome would be a headache.
Dehydration
Our body consists of 65% water, thereby making water a necessity for the body to function properly. A loss in water intake or reduction in the level of water needed for the body to sustain throughout the day can cause severe pain in the head. Make sure you are hydrated enough at all times of the day. Water is also good for the skin and body in various other ways.
Medications
Certain medications have strong ingredients that do not suit everyone’s body or ends up being reactive to their immune system. The side effect of these drugs can be migraine headaches.
Additives
Additives are substances that are added in small quantities to preserve a particular food item or add color. These additives are nothing but chemicals and they do not suit everyone. These too can cause acute headaches. Avoid food with chemicals and colors to prevent headaches.
Migraines do not have any cure as such. However, you can prevent it by keeping a close watch on the above-mentioned common migraine triggers. There are also many ways by which you can ease off the headaches. Painkillers are often recommended by healthcare providers to reduce the pain. There are many natural home remedies too.
Migraines can cause emmense discomfort in your life and can be a hindrance in your work and your daily activities. Therefore, if the above mentioned common migraine triggers are well taken care of, it can help ease and provide relief from these constant, painful headaches.