Migraines can come out of the blue and wreck havoc on your day. Few may experience a sudden onset of migraine, whereas for some it may be a gradual onset with a few symptoms.
There can be different triggers for different people but there are also some triggers which are common to most people who get migraines.
If you know your trigger, it becomes easy to manage your migraine and even prevent them. Here are a few common migraine triggers that you should be aware of.
Stress
According to the American Migraine Foundation, stress is the contributing factor for 50-70 percent of the migraine attacks in patients. Migraine symptoms and day-to-stress are interlinked.
So, recognising and dealing with your stress causing triggers can also help prevent migraine attacks that might be triggered by it.
Hormones
According to doctors at Mayo Clinic, hormones like estrogen and progesterone which are responsible for regular menstrual cycle can also trigger migraine headaches in some people.
Ice, relaxation techniques, breathing exercise, biofeedback and acupuncture may be beneficial in hormonal migraines.
Changing Sleep Patterns
According to PubMed, disturbed or irregular sleep pattern is also associated with migraine headaches. Lack of sleep can be a trigger for acute or chronic migraine and sometimes oversleeping may cause migraines as well.
You can improve your sleep schedule by conditioning yourself to sleep and wake up at the same time. Try to get atleast7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep per night. To promote better sleep. Avoid screentime before going to bed.
Caffeine
According to Healthline, you may want to monitor your caffeine intake because excess caffeine consumption is known to trigger severe migraine headaches.
Caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee, energy drinks and cold drinks should be avoided.
Alcohol
According to the American Migraine Foundation, alcohol is one of the most common triggers for migraine and it can cause a migraine attack which lasts for few hours, or a delayed hangover headache.
The American Migraine Foudation also adds that it is okay to have red wine, but only in small quantities. Though it is an individual's call, but one must avoid drinking alcohol if they experience migraine attacks more frequently.
Light
According to the US NIH, light and sound can also be common triggers for migraines.
The phenomenon of light triggering throbbing and nauseating pain is known as photophobia and the nerve carrying the light signals to the brain can be the cause.
You can always carry a hat or a pair of sunglasses to avoid intense sunlight, also avoid harsh indoor lighting, especially ones that flicker.
Overuse of Medication
According to doctors at Mayo Clinic, overuse of certain medicines can make your migraines worse. Even taking the prescribed medicines for acute migraines for more than 10 days in a month can worsen the condition.
You can ask your doctor to help you recognise the medicines that can be a migraine trigger, and they might help you get off those medicines.
(This article is for your general information only. Before trying out any remedy or treatment, FIT advises you to consult a qualified medical professional.)
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