Triggers are implicated in close to half of all migraine attacks, so having a good trigger-management plan in place is your best chance of reducing the number of attacks you experience.
First of all, experts recommend starting a ‘Migraine Diary’. This will help you identify patterns in the things you are doing or consuming in the lead up to any migraine you experience. Once you know what your triggers are, you can then work towards minimising your migraine attacks.
While every migraine sufferer's triggers are different, here are the most common triggers among those suffering from the illness:
Day-to-day life
- Too little or too much sleep
- Irregular sleep patterns
- Over-excitement
- High altitude
- Travel sickness
- Loud noises
- Strong smells
- Flickering lights
- Long periods in front of computer
Food and drink
- Products containing MSG
- Chocolate
- Dairy products
- Caffeine
- Greasy, fatty food
- Pickled food
- Alcohol (red wine is the most common trigger)
- Low blood sugar levels
- Dehydradtion
- Irregular meals
General health and fitness
- Dieting or fasting
- Smoking or passive smoking
- Hormonal changes (affects women – pregnancy, menstruation, menopause)
- High blood pressure
- Head, neck or back injury
- Increased stress or anxiety
- Too much or too little exercise
While these are some of the more common triggers identified by migraine sufferers, be aware that yours may be sparked by something different.
It is also important to consider that while some people have a migraine caused by a specific trigger, others are affected by a combination of several. Again, this is where your Migraine Diary will be useful, as you’ll be able to identify patterns with each migraine you experience.
