Identifying and avoiding migraine 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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