Headache and Migraine Triggers

Bridgit Rouget
Bachelor Degree of Health Science - Naturopathy
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Suffering from recurrent headaches or migraines can be extremely debilitating and negatively influence the quality of life of sufferers. As there are many different types of headaches and migraines, there are many different potential causes and triggers. It is important to try and investigate what the cause/trigger is for each individual, as possible treatment will therefore change as a result. Exploring and figuring out what trigger might be affecting a particular person can be challenging, but here are a list of the most common triggers generally seen.

• Medications: Over use of acute headache type medications can ironically cause a headache. Also a side effect of some medications can include headaches and migraines. It is worth checking with your doctor if you have changed or started a new medication and are starting to experience extra symptoms.
• Diet: Not eating enough or skipping meals causing your blood sugar levels to drop, resulting in a headache or migraine. Similarly eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars effects blood sugar levels. Some specific food allergies or intolerances are also potential triggers specifically of migraines.
• Dehydration: Not drinking enough water or dehydration from overconsumption of alcohol or caffeine
• Musculoskeletal: Tension in neck, shoulders, eyes or jaw.
• Stress: emotional or physical stress, particularly after the stressful event has occurred
• Hormones: fluctuations in hormones from the menstrual cycle, oral contraceptive pills, hormones replacement therapy or peri-menopause
• Sleep: getting inadequate sleep, napping, oversleeping, jet lag or not sleeping in a correctly supported bed
• Environmental: weather, altitude changes, bright lights, sensitivity to certain smells or perfumes, pollution, hay fever, being exposed to or consuming excessive cigarette smoke.

 
An individual could have one or a combination of compounding causes/triggers that lead them to having recurrent headaches/migraines. It is important with any medical condition including headaches/migraines that you seek a health professional to rule out any serious pathologies and to help you with treatment. There are a number of nutritional and herbal treatment options that our naturopaths are able to offer and can help figure out why this might be happening to you.
You don’t have to put up with being in pain, we are here to help! Various treatments available for the different types of headaches and migraines!