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TOP 10 MIGRAINE EPISODE TRIGGERS YOU NEED TO AVOID

Writer's picture: John StenbergJohn Stenberg

Migraine episodes can affect people in different ways. Some might only experience throbbing pain in the head, while others might have to deal with vomiting, nausea, and even hearing ringing sounds in the ear.


How about you? What symptoms do you often suffer from when you have migraine episodes? Does it get so bad that you’re in desperate need of migraine relief in Colorado Springs? What if you find out that you can manage your symptoms better by dealing with the usual triggers?


Not familiar with the typical migraine episode triggers? Check out the triggers and one of the most practical options for relief in the discussion below.


1. Dehydration


The American Migraine Foundation revealed that one-third of migraineurs report dehydration as their trigger. If you also notice the same issue, you should always keep yourself hydrated. Bring a bottle or a collapsible cup anywhere you go. It’d also help if you avoided or lessen the consumption of food and beverages that contain diuretics. Some examples of these include coffee, tea, asparagus, and cabbage.


2. Fasting or hunger


Do you often skip meals? Besides hearing your tummy rumble, chances are, you might also end up triggering a migraine attack. When you skip meals, the blood sugar levels drop, your brain responds by releasing hormones in charge of stimulating hunger. This, in effect, increases blood pressure and causes the veins to constrict. Both of these physiological responses can, in turn, trigger pounding pain in the head.


On a busy day, make sure you still get enough nutrition in your system by packing vitamin-rich meals or snacks. You also set up a notification on your phone to remind you of mealtime.


3. Food additives


Did you know that food additives like monosodium glutamate and aspartame can trigger migraine attacks? Recent studies reveal that food additives tend to cause diarrhea, cramps, and migraine attacks in roughly 15 percent of migraine patients. If you’re sensitive to these food additives or if you frequently have migraine episodes, you can minimize the use of such ingredients. You can switch to natural alternatives like stevia leaves for sweetening and dark soy sauce for the umami flavor.


4. Hormonal changes


Ever wondered why more women tend to seek migraine relief in Colorado Springs than men? One possible explanation for that is the monthly hormonal fluctuation that results from the menstrual cycle.


Statistics from the Migraine Research Foundation reveal that 50 percent have more than one migraine episode while 25 percent experience more than four attacks. The episodes tend to increase in intensity and frequency as the menstruation approaches. Pregnant and menopausal women also report more frequent and severe migraine episodes.


5. Sudden weather or environmental changes


While it’s virtually impossible to control the weather or environmental changes, you can still manage these types of triggers by preparing in advance. For example, it may help if you set up a cool room during summertime. You can then retreat to this room when an episode starts.


6. Sleep Problems


Migraines, headaches, and poor sleep quality often go hand in hand. Sadly, if you frequently suffer from migraine attacks, you also tend to suffer from interrupted sleep. If you’re having a difficult time because of this issue, here are some tips you can follow to improve your sleeping experience:

  • Switch to an ergonomic bed and pillow

  • Develop a defined sleeping pattern by having a consistent schedule for sleeping and waking

  • Improve your room by switching to dim lights and removing distractions

  • Lessen or completely avoid consumption of alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine before going to bed

  • Keep away from your mobile gadgets and TV screen before sleeping

7. Stress


Stress tends to exacerbate all kinds of health problems which include migraine attacks. Stressful situations like los2. Fasting or hungering a job, having a newborn child, and dealing with financial troubles can worsen your symptoms. You can try to counter everyday stressors with relaxation techniques like meditation, tai chi, yoga, aromatherapy, and biofeedback for migraine relief in Colorado Springs.


8. Auditory Triggers


Research on migraine relief also reveals that some patients also suffer from migraine episodes when exposed to auditory triggers. Some examples of sounds that can set off painful and uncomfortable episodes include the honking of vehicles passing by and the noise made by jackhammers.


9. Olfactory Triggers


Besides auditory or sound triggers, some folks who have frequent migraine attacks claim they begin experiencing pain after smelling certain scents. Cigarette smoke, nail polish, some kinds of perfume, car fumes, hair spray, gasoline, and other items that emit strong odors could cause migraine symptoms. Unfortunately, dealing with olfactory triggers doesn’t come easy. Often, it’s hard to avoid certain scents coming from hair products, cologne, and perfume.


10. Excessive alcohol consumption


Plenty of migraineurs report heightened symptoms after consuming excessive amounts of alcohol. Alcohol tends to cause various issues for migraineurs. For starters, it contains histamine, a chemical that stimulates your body’s immune system response. As a result, inflammation increases throughout the body. Alcoholic beverages also contain ethanol, a natural diuretic that can set off a series of headaches.


A promising source of migraine relief in Colorado Springs


Besides managing or avoiding migraine triggers, it also helps to seek natural remedies like upper cervical care. Essentially, upper cervical chiropractic adjustments provide long-term migraine relief in Colorado Springs by correcting atlas displacement.


Many patients who have severe migraine attacks have misaligned neck bones that press on their brainstem and impede the brain’s natural flow of fluids. Studies have also proven that upper cervical chiropractic shows promising relief for patients struggling with migraines and headaches.


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