Migraines are a type of headache which are most often reported as throbbing, pulsating pain in head. The headache can happen from few hours and in some cases may continue for few days. They are often recognised to be happening on either side of the head but this may vary for many people. Person may experience additional symptoms like eyestrain, pain in cheeks, neck, shoulder and face. While the exact cause of migraines is not known there are few common habits that trigger migraine. These are true for most people however it may vary from person to person. Let us check out few common habits that can trigger migraine.
Too much Stress
Stress is one of the major cause of headaches including migraine headaches. As you try to keep up with the fast changing world, people often take lot of stress which results into headaches.
While it is quite impossible to avoid stress all together you should try and focus on other stress relief methods such as meditation, dark room rest, listening to music that calm you down etc.
Too Much medication
While painkillers are supposed to cure headaches, overuse of medicines can itself become triggers for what we call rebound headaches. To keep up with current lifestyle and make yourself 100% people often take painkillers during slightest of headache episodes.
Taking painkillers too often then make your body addicted to the medication and as the medication effect wears off your migraine will return, this time pretty bad.
The only way to avoid rebound headaches is to stop using painkillers at all which itself is a painful process.
Read more – Is the painkiller causing you headache?
Sensitivity to certain food
While a clear linkage between why certain type of food and headache is not yet established, many people report that a common pattern does exist for them. It is always a good idea to maintain a health journal or online migraine diary that can help keep track of your headache pattern.
Many people report that certain food may be acting as triggers to their migraine. This is however quite the opposite for certain people who may find certain food to help relieve migraine. The food which are often considered triggers for migraine are –
- Chocolate
- Dairy products (often cheese)
- Caffeine
- Artificial sweeteners and food containing them
- Processed Food
Read more – 11 Food that trigger migraine
Inactive Lifestyle
Exercise not just helps keep your body in shape and weight under check but it also helps with your headaches. While exercise may seem like a bad thing to do especially during migraine attacks performing some mild exercise may actually be helpful. To begin with introduce some light exercise in your daily routine and it will help you in reducing the attacks.
Read more – 7 Simple Fitness Tips For Healthy Lifestyle
Skipping Meals (for weightloss)
Skipping meals can often trigger migraine headaches and should be avoided similar to eating the wrong food. Keeping a regular meal schedule can help lower down the attack episodes and improve your overall health. If you are overweight and have migraine it is better to maintain a balanced diet, exercise often and not skip meals to avoid getting headaches.
Read more – Why weight loss diet plans don’t work at all
Too much alcohol
Alcohol (any type) can easily trigger migraine for many people and should be avoided. While some amount of alcohol may not trigger migraine for some it mostly does for many. You should see if alcohol does effect or triggers migraine then it is better to avoid or drink in moderation.
Bad Weather and Pressure variation
It is often reported that with bad weather the chances of having migraine increase quite often. While the actual reasoning behind this is not yet established many link it as a remnant in humans from ancient times when such changes in weather were considered life threatening. If you are planning to go out it is good idea to check on weather and avoid extreme weather.
Read more – 12 Simple Tips for instant headache relief
Not Drinking enough water
A simple prevention such as drink water may be helpful in keeping away the migraine. Many people report dehydration as a trigger for migraine and hence it is a good idea to keep yourself hydrated. Carry a bottle of water and this should help you prevent migraine.
Overscheduling
Doing too many things in short span of time and not giving enough time to yourself can be one of the triggers for migraine. Having a packed day is quite common now-days for many and this could be one of the reasons for growing number of migraine cases in today’s world. It is better to simplify your schedule as this can easily trigger migraines.
Not getting enough sleep
Sleep is an important factor that is important for both your mind and body. Lack of sleep can easily trigger migraines and having migraines quite often may interfere with your sleep cycles. People experiencing migraine often report migraine triggering during early morning hours – between 2:30 am – 9 am.
As can be quite evident from these timings migraine may itself become a reason for lack of sleep and create more problems for you. Try to improve your sleeping pattern by keeping activities light after dinner and before you hit the bed. Over a period of time you will be able to improve your quality of sleep and reduce migraine episodes.
Read more – 10 Quick and easy ways to sleep better
Bottom Line
There can be many things that can easily trigger migraine. Finding the habit that triggers migraine for you can help you design a plan of action for yourself. Once you know what triggers migraine for you, you can plan for preventive actions. Maintaining a journal or diary to track your migraine is a good way to understand your migraine patterns.
Few basic preventive methods such as reducing stress, maintaining healthy diet, following a sleeping pattern and exercise can work wonders for you. We wish triggers mentioned in this article help you identify habits that trigger migraine for you and you can plan a preventive mechanism to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
