Shocking triggers of migraine

  • By Dr. Neha Agrawal

Around 15 out of every 100 experience migraine in some or the other stage in their lives.

Migraine is a nuisance, some would say. The headaches are moderate to severe in intensity, may be associated with other symptoms, last long, do not have a sure-shot treatment and leave you feeling weak. The headaches affect day-to-day life and pose a limitation to many activities.

You can make a major difference by identifying the triggers. You may not know what is giving you those headaches. The triggers are often peculiar for the individual, that is, if a sunny day is giving you your migraine, for your friend it may be smoky food.

Let us see seven of the lesser known triggers for migraine

  1. Hairstyle: The way you tie your hair affects the amount of pressure on your scalp. A twisted bun or a tight ponytail can be giving you those headaches. Change your hairstyle and get rid of the pain. Another similar cause could be tight coverings, like a scarf.
  2. Oversleeping: If you are a victim of the modern ‘work weekdays and life only on weekends’ trend, your sleeping habits may be erratic. Many sleep less from Monday to Friday, and try to compensate by sleeping more on Saturdays and Sundays. Good only if you don’t wake up with headaches and spoil your weekends. Body gets used to a certain routine of sleep; please try to stick to it.
  3. Missing the coffee bean: If you are used to having a lot of coffee regularly, decreasing the intake may result in headaches. While it is a good idea to reduce the caffeine intake, do it gradually and try to find substitutes (like green tea, a fruit, a gum) to battle the caffeine withdrawal.
  4. Reactive hypoglycemia: Having foods rich in carbohydrates can result in headaches. Sugar, pasta, breads, etc. lead to production of extra insulin in the body. As a side effect, the blood sugar levels may go down a little, though only temporarily. The low blood sugar may be giving you those migraines.
  5. Skipping meals: Working woman? Rushing to the office, and amongst all the chores, the first casualty is the breakfast. Fasting, missing a meal, not eating enough could be making your head ache. Eat well, lady!
  6. Relationships: Stressors in your relationships at home, at work, in social circles could be affecting you more than you know. Too much stress goes heavy on the head and causes migraine. Take a deep breath, say no to stress, smile and be pain free.
  7. Technology: If you are a techie or a phone addict, chances are that screen is responsible for the pain in your head. Being on the computer screen or always checking your phone causes strain on the eyes. The brightness and fluctuations add to the stress on the eyes. The world is not on your phone, look around. And if you have to work on the laptop for long hours, keep taking breaks at frequent intervals.

Now, that you know some triggers to your headaches, it is time to observe and make changes. Try to notice what it is that you are sensitive to, watch for a pattern. Once the cause is uncovered, the battle against migraine is half won.