11 Tips for Avoiding Common Migraine Triggers

In order to understand how to avoid headaches we need to understand what causes them and what triggers them. Once we understand what triggers a migraine, our job is to make the necessary lifestyle changes that will help us avoid our triggers.

Migraines

Migraines are a common health issue. An estimated 12% of the American population suffers from migraine headaches, a statistic that is echoed in many parts of the world. Migraines are most commonly found in Caucasian women, though people of all races and ethnicities experience migraine attacks. Their onset is often in the early-to-midlife, and for many women, it starts just after the beginning of puberty or menarche.

In order to understand how to avoid headaches we need to understand what causes them. The causes of migraines are attributed to the interaction of:

• genetics
• brain chemistry
• lifestyle triggers

The current understanding of migraines is that specific genes are related to the hyperactivity of certain neurotransmitters in the nervous system, triggering inflammation and the resultant pain we associate with migraines. Neurotransmitters, like substance P, prostaglandins, and Calcitonin-gene-related-peptide (CGRP), are released from nerve endings in the connective tissue around the brain and face causing swelling and inflammation of the nearby blood vessels. The swelling causes the pulsing, or throbbing, of the blood vessels that we know as a ‘pounding headache’. In migraine sufferers this pain pathway is turned up too high, so that a seemingly small trigger stimulates massive pain signals to the brain.

Lifestyle Triggers

While you may not be able to change your genetics or your brain chemistry, you are able to take charge of your health by avoiding avoid common lifestyle triggers that result in migraines.

Many of the symptoms associated with migraines, and the ways to avoid them, make sense when we look at which nerve is most often the site of this hyperactivity. The trigeminal nerve supplies impulses to the muscles responsible for biting and chewing. More importantly, it is the nerve that picks up sensations like pain and touch from the entire face. The pounding migraine pain -- in the sinuses, behind the eyes, on the temples, making your teeth ache -- is all due to the hyperactivity of the trigeminal nerve.

The nerves from the neck muscles join the trigeminal nerve, explaining the debilitating neck pain that can be present during a migraine.

Some Common Lifestyle Triggers for Migraines

Stress and Sleep Deprivation: The number one trigger for many people is stress, it causes poor sleep, clenching of the jaw and tension in the neck and shoulder muscles. The trigeminal nerve fires at a rapid pace setting up a pattern of hypersensitivity and headache.

Hormone Imbalance: This may be the reason migraines are more common in women. Studies have shown that falling levels of estrogen can trigger migraine onset. This could be why many women experience headaches just before or at the onset of menses when estrogen is lowest in the system.

Weather: Changes in the weather, increased winds or temperature can cause migraines for some.

Alcohol and Foods: Alcohol is a known trigger for many migraine-sufferers, especially red wine. It is thought that the sulfites serving as a preservative in the wine may be the cause. Other foods that contain sulfites may also cause symptoms. Some sufferers may also be sensitive to food additives like aspartame, MSG or other preservatives found in processed foods. There is some limited evidence pointing to food intolerances or food allergies as a possible trigger for migraines as well.

Flickering Lights: Like those found on computers, television and other modern-day toys can also stimulate the trigeminal nerve too much. In addition, long hours in front of a computer add to the muscle tightness in the face, jaw and neck.

What do we do?

While medications are extremely important at the acute onset of a migraine for pain control and shortening the duration of a migraine, it is best to avoid a migraine altogether. I've listed a few rules of thumb from self-care and home-remedies to medication do’s and don’ts in avoiding these painful situations.

1. Avoid sleep deprivation or erratic sleep patterns (like sleeping in on the weekends): This can help in mediating stress and allow the body to function better.
2. Consider a bite guard: Consult your dentist if necessary for a fitting. It has been found that most migraines begin between 4 and 9AM, before you even wake, probably caused by clenching the jaw and triggering the nerve fibers in the biting and chewing muscles. A mouth guard that stops clenching may be a cure-all for chronic headache sufferers.
3. Drink eight glasses of water daily: Water helps hydrate our muscles, helping them relax and, in turn, calm the nerves around them.
4. Don’t skip meals and eat a healthy diet: Swings in blood sugar, caused by skipped meals, increase stress in the body. Avoiding processed foods in favor of more fruits, vegetables and lean proteins helps decrease additives, preservatives and possible food allergens.
5. Watch the caffeine: While a little caffeine can help alleviate a headache, more than 200mg a day (small cup of drip) can make migraines worse. We see this in people who self-medicate 2-3 days a week with over-the-counter medications containing caffeine. Put down the triple-shot-venti-mochaccino!
6. Get aerobic exercise: Great stress relief and the increased oxygen flow to the brain, muscles and the nervous system can’t hurt either.
7. Manage your Stress: Biofeedback, acupuncture, massage, the exercise from above, whatever works for you, just do it!
8. Supplement with Magnesium: It’s fabulous, and safe. Whether daily to help in prevention or higher doses at a headache onset, it is one of nature’s best ‘muscle relaxants’. Magnesium citrate or glycinate forms are best, and some physicians will even do intravenous pushes to stop the onset of a headache. Always consult a physician if you are taking other medications or have other health conditions before starting supplements.
9. Try Riboflavin or Vitamin B2, Feverfew and Butterbur: Vitamin B2, Feverfew and Butterbur have been shown in some studies to be effective in reducing the number and severity of migraine attacks.
10. Don’t avoid medications: Pain is much easier to get a handle on early in the game. Waiting for two or three hours into the migraine to take pharmaceutical medicines can end up increasing the needed dose. End the cycle early.
11. Keep a Journal: One of the best things you can do to learn more about your lifestyle triggers is to keep a journal. Record your sleep quality, menstrual cycles, food, and stress levels. Record the time of each headache's onset and the pain levels (ranked on a scale of 1 to 10). A journal can help you discover your triggers your patterns. It will shed light on the little aches and pains that you may have been ignoring. These can be the key to finding your larger triggers and your patterns. Even if your journal shows that you’re having more headaches than you realized, it will help you get the support you need for prevention.

What's Next?

Migraines are debilitating. They cause pain and missed days of work, and the chronic pain increases the likelihood of anxiety or depression. Prevention is important, whether it’s natural or pharmaceutical. Avoiding triggers is paramount! It’s about you being a healthier and happier you -- pain free.

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