migraines trigger
Migraines Trigger
Migraines Trigger: Stress
While beyond one’s control in most cases, reducing stress works to your advantage as a migraine sufferer as stress will reduce your overall migraine threshold. Techniques for stress reduction will vary from person to person. Some people will gain benefit from exercise, dance or yoga classes. Other people may prefer to try meditation or listening to relaxing music.
Migraines Trigger: Dehydration
Drink plenty of water. What is enough water for one person may not be enough for you. Also, don’t forget that many medications can have a diuretic effect – particularly high blood pressure medications.
Migraines Trigger: Sleep
Too little sleep, poor quality sleep, interrupted sleep, and too much sleep. If you believe sleep is one of your triggers, try to avoid changing up your sleep schedule by sleeping in on the weekends or having late nights during the work week. If this does not help, consider visiting a sleep clinic where they will monitor your sleep patterns and vital signs throughout the night. Many people actually have undiagnosed sleep patterns which they are unaware of. Such problems can include sleep apnea (more common than you might think) and other disorders which prevent reaching REM.
Many people can improve the quality of their sleep by making simple changes such as wearing ear plugs, using a white noise machine, installing blackout curtains, or wearing a sleep mask. Also, consider covering any light emitting sources in your room such as a clock radio.
Migraines Trigger: Skipping Meals
Missing meals can lead to fluctuations in blood sugar. You may need to try eating differently to avoid low blood sugar crashes at certain times per day. Blood sugar crashes are more common among people who eat a diet high in refined carbohydrates (think sugar and flour.) Low blood sugar occurs when insulin is released to remove excess glucose (sugar) from the blood. If your blood sugar drops too rapidly, adrenaline is released from your adrenal glands – forcing your liver to release sugar stores in order to return balance. A side effect of this response can be feelings of anxiety or even panic.
If you think you cannot get away for lunch during the work day, it would be a good idea to have an assortment of ready to eat food with you. Try to focus on snacks that contain protein, not just sugar. Also avoid eating foods high in sugar or artificial sweeteners once you notice your blood sugar is low. Low blood sugar also puts you in a position to react more strongly to sugar and artificial sweeteners, and some people will experience migraines. Foods high in fiber can be especially helpful in balancing blood sugar – try oat bran, flax seed, and apples.
