Migraine Triggers

I first read about "migraine triggers" in a Time article seven years ago. Before that I had never heard that food caused headaches. That was the beginning of an ongoing learning process. My knowledge has grown and my dietary options have dwindled! Thankfully the number of headaches I get has also decreased.

Here's a helpful list of the most common food and lifestyle triggers provided by WebMD:

• Stress (either during a stressful time or right after stress subsides).
• Menstrual cycle in women.
• Too much or too little sleep.
• Fasting or skipping meals.
• Changes in barometric pressure and weather.
• Bright light or reflected sunlight.
• Foods such as chocolate.
• Excessive caffeine or caffeine withdrawal.
• Smoking or being around someone who smokes.
• Other migraine triggers include:
• Strong emotions, such as depression or anxiety.
• Physical exercise.
• Alcohol, such as red wine and port.
• Aspartame, an artificial sweetener that is found in diet sodas, light yogurts, and other sugar-free foods.
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a seasoning that is often found in Chinese food, meats, and other foods.
• Nitrates, which are found in cured meats such as hot dogs, bacon, and cold cuts.
• Tyramines, which are found in pickled or marinated foods, aged cheeses, and yeast.
• Birth control pills and hormone therapy.
• Certain medications, especially those that dilate blood vessels.
• Overuse of headache pain medications, leading to rebound headaches.
• Bright lights, glare, reflected sunlight, or other intense visual stimuli.
• Odors such as perfume, paint, dust, and certain flowers.

In the days to come on Manage Your Migraines we'll be compiling more detailed lists of both dietary, environmental and behavioral triggers.

Your Turn: Anything on this list that's particularly bad for you? Anything missing? We'd love to hear from you.