Migraine Triggers
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Video Description:If you know the triggers that bring on a migraine you can more easily sidestep experiencing one.
Transcript:Voiceover: Sometimes a migraine headache seems to come out of nowhere. But could something actually be setting them off? Although migraine headaches are actually caused by physical changes in the brain, nearly 85% of migraine sufferers report that certain foods or environmental changes can “trigger” a headache. Even though there are a number of commonly recognized triggers, each trigger affects individual patients differently. There are a number of foods that are recognized as headache triggers. One common trigger is alcoholic beverages, especially red wine, which contains tannins. Caffeine withdrawal is also prone to set off headaches, which is why overuse of caffeinated beverages like coffee and soda can trigger a migraine. Also, MSG, a spice found most commonly in Chinese food, can initiate a migraine headache in some patients. Although there is a popular perception that chocolate plays a role in initiating migraine headaches, many experts now believe that chocolate is not actually a migraine trigger. Rather the desire to eat chocolate is a sign of an impending migraine attack. In addition to eating these particular foods, missing a meal can also initiate a headache. But food is by no means the only kind of headache trigger. Significant changes in weather, such as an approaching storm front, also commonly precede migraines. There are actually hundreds of different triggers that patients have reported. Some other frequently reported triggers include intense stress, bright light, cigarette smoke, the scent of perfumes and cleaning products, menstruation, and rapid changes in temperature. It is important to remember that very few of these reported triggers will actually start a headache for any particular person. In fact, most patients have three or fewer triggers, and one very effective way to prevent headaches is to identify these triggers and avoid them. If you want to identify what your triggers are, one very useful tool is the headache diary. Frequent headache sufferers should start with a blank notebook, and put the date at the top of each page. Each day you should record the weather, everything you eat, any stressful events, or anything else that seems significant to you, as well as the time, strength, and duration of any headaches. Once you’ve recorded several headaches, look at the entries you made on those days. Are there items in common? If there are, you may have identified one of your headache triggers. Try to avoid that trigger, and see if that helps reduce your headache frequency. Voiceover: The movies in this series can be viewed in any order. If you wish to watch these clips in their original sequence, then the next clip is, “Stop Your Migraine Before it Stops You: Abortive Medicines,” which discusses how certain medications can be used at the onset of headaches to prevent them from developing. The clip recounts the story of how these medications helped a professional football player to remain in the Super Bowl despite getting a migraine during the game.
Category:Neurological Health/Migraine & Headache
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