What is Causing My Migraine?

It is unknown precisely why some people experience migraines and not everybody. The leading theory is that a person is born with genes making them more prone to have head pains than the average person. When exposed to certain situations or a combination of those situations, the person then suffers a migraine attack. Although sometimes called "causes" of migraines, they are technically known as "migraine triggers".



Food Migraine Triggers



Many common migraine triggers include types of food and drink, including (but not limited to):


*Alcohol (especially red wine)

*Chocolate

*Anything with caffeine in it (including some over the counter painkillers)

*Anything with vinegar in it

*Aged meats aged cheeses

*Any foods with MSG (monosodium glutamate)

*Deli meats or hot dogs

According to "Migraines For Dummies" (Wiley Publishing; 2003), the food itself may not always act as a migraine trigger in some people. They may have to first experience another trigger and then eat a food in order to get a migraine. But even if the food triggers a migraine sometimes, it may be best to stay completely away from it.

One of the most common migraine triggers is not caused by caffeine, but the lack of caffeine. The body has become so used to having a certain amount of caffeine every day that it will give the body a migraine in order to get more. This can only be treated by gradually eliminating caffeine from the diet.

Other Controllable Migraine Triggers

Many migraine triggers are harder to classify than food triggers. But the patient does have some degree to control them. If a person prone to migraines knows in advance that he or she may be exposed to uncontrollable triggers, then he or she knows to try and avoid these:


*Lack of sleep

*Stress

*Dehydration

*Sun or light glare

*Squinting, which can cause eye strain

*Medicine rebound headache - this is when you get a migraine because your body hasn't gotten enough painkiller for the day. It works similarly to a caffeine withdrawal migraine.

Uncontrollable Triggers

Many other triggers might not be so easily controlled such as avoiding certain foods. These include (but are not limited to):


*Sudden changes in barometric pressure

*Sudden changes in temperature (such as when going from the summer heat and humidity into a heavily air-conditioned room)

*Hormones (this applies only to women)

*Sudden strong smells like tobacco smoke, bad perfume or fresh paint

Discovering Triggers

The National Headache Foundation strongly recommends that anyone prone to migraines or unexplainable headaches keep a headache diary. There are even blank templates available online. You only need to jot down what happened right before the migraine, how long the attack lasted, if any painkiller or alternative therapy helped to treat it and (if a woman), what time of the month it is.

References

"Migraines For Dummies." Diane Stafford & Jennifer Shoquist, MD. Wiley Publishing; 2003.

"Menstrual Migraine." Susan Hutchinson, et al. Oxford University Press; 2008.

University of California, Berkley. University Health Services. "Migraine Triggers."

National Headache Foundation. "Keeping a Headache Diary Can Help Your Doctor Help You." http://www.headaches.org/pdf/2009-2010/2010HeadacheDiary.pdf

Author suffers from migraines.