Migraine triggers
The throbbing pain of migraine can last from several hours to a few days. There are many well-known trigger factors for migraine including lack of sleep, stress and certain foods. Although migraine trigger factors don’t actually cause a migraine on their own, they can set off the processes that lead to a migraine developing in people who are prone to them.
A person may have several different migraine triggers. Keeping a symptom diary can be helpful for working out the possible triggers for your migraines.
Exposure to more than one trigger can produce an additive effect that is more likely to result in a migraine. For example, in women who tend to get migraines when they get their period, exposure to other triggers around this time, such as late nights and alcohol, may make a migraine more likely. At other times, alcohol on its own may not result in a migraine for this person.
It can be difficult to avoid all of your triggers, all of the time. However, an awareness of your triggers can allow you to avoid some of them, and help you manage and sometimes prevent a migraine.
| Common migraine triggers | |
|---|---|
| Lifestyle | Stress Stress ‘let-down’, e.g. on a weekend or holiday Missing a meal Lack of sleep Oversleeping Fatigue Long travel journeys Overexertion when you are unfit |
| Physiological | Hormone fluctuations, e.g. menstruation, menopause |
| Environmental | Certain odours, e.g. smoke or smog Bright lights Weather changes |
| Medications | Some medications including birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and some angina medications |
| Alcohol | Especially red wines |
| Foods | Cured meats containing nitrates Chocolate Caffeine Nuts Pickled foods Monosodium glutamate (MSG) Aged cheese Yoghurt and sour cream Onions Brown vinegar Citrus fruits |
Last Reviewed: 29 January 2010
- 1. FamilyDoctor.org [website], American Academy of Family Physicians. Migraine headaches: ways to deal with the pain (updated 2009, Oct). Available at: http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/brain/disorders/127.html (accessed 2010, Jan 21)
