Although genetics is the most significant risk factor for migraines, trigger factors (like red wine, caffeine withdrawal, and skipping meals) can lower a person’s headache threshold. Keeping a headache diary eliminates recall bias and can help patients identify unrecognized triggers amenable to prevention.
Foods like aged cheese, chocolate, artificial sweeteners (aspartame), nitrates/nitrites, drinks like alcohol, caffeine, and cola, and sensory stimuli such as bright lights, strong odors, and noise can trigger a migraine.
Eat a well-balanced diet.
Some migraine sufferers can avoid headaches by avoiding foods containing histamine, MSG, chocolate, cheese, dairy products, alcohol, processed food, cured meats, specific fruits and vegetables, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine. They should also eat regularly and avoid skipping meals.
Many people who suffer from migraines find that their migraine attacks are triggered by being hungry or thirsty, by being stressed, by changes to their routine, and by the weather. Keeping a migraine diary may help identify triggers such as these.
Sleep disorders can also be a trigger, mainly when they are caused by shift work. It’s essential to get enough sleep and keep a consistent sleep pattern. Having too much or too little sleep can trigger migraines. Avoiding stress and taking medication for sleep problems can also help.
Please don’t overdo it with alcohol.
Migraine patients often find that alcohol can trigger headaches, particularly red wine and alcoholic beverages that contain tyramine. Likewise, caffeine can also be a trigger in coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and some medications.
Other foods and drinks that can trigger migraines include MSG (monosodium glutamate), aged cheese, cured meats such as bacon, ham, salami, processed foods, and fish. Foods containing nitrates, especially those in canned soups and salad dressing, are another common trigger for many people with migraines.
Stress is a common migraine trigger for many people, and regular exercise, meditation, and mindfulness activities can be helpful. Some people with migraines benefit from working with a migraine treatment Jacksonville FL, which can teach them new strategies to help them cope with stress.
Get plenty of sleep.
Although avoiding triggers, such as sleep disorders or foods, is tempting, that’s not always effective and may even worsen migraines. Instead, try to maintain regular sleep habits and a healthy diet.
Staying hydrated is also essential. Dehydration can cause blood vessels to constrict, which is another known migraine trigger. Avoiding exercise in hot or humid weather may help prevent migraines, too. It is best to start slow and gradually increase your pace, and remember to warm up and cool down before and after exercising.
Keep a migraine diary, which can help identify possible triggers, such as aged cheeses, alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate), cured meats, dairy, and foods with added nitrates, like cold cuts or bacon. Hormonal changes and weather-pressure changes are other common migraine triggers.
Stay hydrated.
Staying hydrated is essential because dehydration is another known trigger of migraine headaches. Drinking water can help decrease the frequency of migraine attacks and reduce their severity.
The best way to identify migraine triggers is by keeping a diary. Whether with pen and paper or an app, log all the factors that lead to a migraine attack (weather, noise, feeling stressed).
Then, look for patterns and make adjustments. For example, if you get migraines when the temperature is high, try to stay inside or run your errands before it gets too hot outside. If you suspect certain foods are a trigger, try cutting them out of your diet for a few weeks and reintroducing them to see if your migraines respond.
Stay away from bright lights.
A common trigger is bright lights (wildly flashing lights). Loud noises and strong smells also can trigger migraines. For some people, perfumes and cologne can act as triggers as well.
The best way to identify personal triggers is to keep a headache diary. Be sure to note what you ate, how much sleep you got, and any changes to your routine that may have caused a difference in your symptoms.
Foods that commonly work as migraine triggers include red wine and other alcoholic beverages, caffeine, chocolate, cured or processed meats, and foods with monosodium glutamate (MSG). If you suspect these are your triggers, try an elimination diet, eliminating one food at a time to see how it affects you. Getting enough sleep is essential, so avoid skipping meals and oversleeping.