Surprising migraine triggers
If you suffer from migraines, you know that they’re a lot more than just a headache. They can cause nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, pain, and more, and can be entirely debilitating. As it turns out, anything from your diet to your lifestyle could be affecting your health. If you suffer from migraines, consider some of the following surprising migraine triggers, as listed by Dr Robert Mathews of Cremorne Medical in NSW, Australia.
Surprising migraine triggers:
- Stress
- Lack of sleep: A lack of sleep or a disrupted sleep schedule can contribute to the onset of migraines.
- Viral infections
- Menstruation (in women)
- Caffeine: “Found in coffee and chocolate, [caffeine can be a [migraine] trigger]” Dr Mathews says.
- Painkillers: “Sometimes taking pain killers too frequently can paradoxically trigger migraines.”
- Weather changes: “[An] unusual trigger is a change in barometric pressure such as sudden weather changes.”
- Additionally: “People who are overweight and snore have a higher risk of developing chronic migraines,” Dr Mathews warns.
While avoiding these triggers can help to discourage migraines, Dr Mathews also shared some key everyday advice to help prevent their onset:
“The best medicine is often the simplest, such as getting eight hours sleep per night, managing your stress levels through regular exercise, relaxation, and eating a healthy diet. Hydration is also really important, make sure you are having at least six glasses of water per day,” Dr Mathews recommends.