Migraine Triggers
What are migraine triggers?
Migraine triggers can cause migraine attacks, and just as no two attacks are alike, no two people have the same experience with triggers. The more you understand what causes your migraine attacks, the more manageable they may become.
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Stress triggers
Stress is a trigger for nearly 70% of people with migraine attacks.
Stressing constantly about the next migraine attack can lead to a never-ending cycle of migraine attacks. You may even experience a “let down” migraine after taking a weekend off due to your body having a sudden drop in chronic stress.
What are some ways of coping with stress?
Break the cycle by learning strategies to reduce stress that may help you better manage your migraine attacks.
If you find that stress has been triggering migraine attacks, talk to a doctor and start keeping a migraine journal.
This will put you on the right track to finding the appropriate medication for you.
Make a list of things that stress you out or cause tension.
Whether it be a messy living space or getting too many notifications on your phone, try to start actively reducing these stressors in your day-to-day life.
Start to integrate stress-relieving activities into your life.
Exercising, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, relaxation, biofeedback therapy, and meditation are all great ways to manage stress.
Travel triggers
How do travel triggers affect people with migraine?
Stress leading up to and during travel, change in diet due to limited food options, sleep disruption and weather pressure changes can together create the perfect storm for a migraine attack.
Tips to consider while traveling:
- If your seatmate has the shade all the way up with the light streaming in, an eye mask can help block out migraine-causing rays.
- Ear plugs and noise-canceling headphones can keep out loud noises like crying babies and noisy chatter.
- Consider carrying on ice packs, neck pillows and blue light glasses to help ease migraine pain on-board a flight.
Weather triggers
It is impossible to control the weather — so monitoring the weather is crucial for helping to treat weather-related migraine attacks.
How does weather trigger migraine attacks?
Changes in weather, such as an increase or decrease in barometric pressure, have been proven to trigger migraine attacks.
Even lightning has been known to trigger an attack.
Tracking weather triggers
Keep an eye out for the temperature, humidity, air pollution levels, chance of lightning and sunshine levels.
By tracking the weather forecast, some patients have been able to better manage their migraine attacks.
Menstrual triggers
Some people may notice the timing of their period and migraine attacks are in sync. When you’re on your period, your hormone levels are constantly fluctuating, which can trigger a migraine attack.
If you think your migraine attacks could be due to hormonal changes around the time of your period, start keeping a journal to record your symptoms and their timing so you can discuss them with your doctor.