Migraines: Identifying and avoiding triggers
What are common migraine triggers?
Migraines may be triggered by food, stress, and changes in your daily routine or environment.
The most common migraine triggers are:
- Stress (either during a stressful time or right after stress subsides).
- Menstrual cycle in women.
- Too much or too little sleep.
- Fasting or skipping meals.
- Changes in barometric pressure and weather.
- Bright light or reflected sunlight.
- Foods such as chocolate.
- Excessive caffeine or caffeine withdrawal.
- Smoking or being around someone who smokes.
Other migraine triggers include:
- Strong emotions, such as depression or anxiety.
- Physical exercise.
- Alcohol, such as red wine and port.
- Aspartame, an artificial sweetener that is found in diet sodas, light yogurts, and other sugar-free foods.
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a seasoning that is often found in Chinese food, meats, and other foods.
- Nitrates, which are found in cured meats such as hot dogs, bacon, and cold cuts.
- Tyramines, which are found in pickled or marinated foods, aged cheeses, and yeast.
- Birth control pills and hormone therapy.
- Certain medications, especially those that dilate blood vessels.
- Overuse of headache pain medications, leading to rebound headaches.
- Bright lights, glare, reflected sunlight, or other intense visual stimuli.
- Odors such as perfume, paint, dust, and certain flowers.
Test Your Knowledge
Skipping meals, drinking red wine, sleeping in very late, seeing reflected sunlight in your car's side-view mirror, and a rainy day could all be migraine triggers.
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Why identify and avoid migraine triggers?
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| Author: | Monica Rhodes | Last Updated: July 3, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Colin Chalk, MD, CM, FRCPC - Neurology | |
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