If you experience at least one migraine each year, you’re not alone—17% of women and 6% of men in the U.S. share the same fate.
One frustrating thing about dealing with migraines is that they can be unpredictable. While some migraines do have warning signs, such as mood changes, others come quickly and unexpectedly, potentially ruining your whole day.
Looking to learn more about why migraine happens? Here are six common migraine triggers that you may want to keep an eye on.
1. Stress
As far as leading causes of migraines go, stress tops the list. According to the American Headache Society, four out of five people who get migraines report stress as a trigger. Migraine-inducing stress may occur due to:
- Jam-packed schedule
- Constant meetings
- Never-ending to-do lists
- Intense workouts
2. Smoking
Migraines are just one of many ways in which cigarettes can damage your body. Nicotine constricts your blood vessels, causing less blood to go to your head. This is a key cause of many headaches.
Nicotine withdrawal can also cause migraines. For example, if you smoke one cigarette in the morning and one in the evening, you may get a visual migraine in between.
3. Hormones
Hormones are also very common migraine headache factors. This is also why women are more likely than men to suffer from chronic migraines. Many migraines are related to fluctuations in estrogen, which occur during:
- Menstrual periods
- Pregnancy and nursing
- Hormonal birth control
- Menopause
4. Caffeine
Caffeine is among the more popular migraine relief methods out there, but it may create more issues than it solves. Too much caffeine can affect a brain substance called adenosine, which can trigger a migraine attack for some individuals.
Like nicotine, caffeine withdrawal can also lead to migraines. If you drink coffee three or more times a week, you’ll develop a dependency to it. If your body doesn’t get as much caffeine as it’s used to, you may get a migraine.
5. Specific Foods
Some people suffer from migraines after eating something specific. This experience is particularly common if it’s paired with other migraine triggers. Common foods and drinks that are known to cause migraines include:
- Alcohol
- Aged cheeses
- Salty or processed meats
- Pickled or fermented foods
6. Medications
Oral contraceptives and vasodilators can cause migraines. Of course, those medications may be critical for other health conditions you may have. Ensure you speak to your health care provider before changing or stopping any of your medications.
Keep in mind that some migraine medications may make migraines worse, as in the more you take, the less it will help. The professional term for this is a medication-overuse headache. This is also why you shouldn’t take too many painkillers to relieve a headache.
How to Manage Your Migraines
When it comes to why migraine happens, there’s still plenty of mystery. That said, once you know what your personal triggers are, it will become much easier to manage them. The next time you get a migraine, try to figure out why it occurred.
Once you have a handle on your triggers, the next step is developing the perfect treatment plan. Dealing with constant migraines? Consider gammaCore™ non-invasive vagus nerve stimulator (nVNS). This FDA-cleared device provides drug-free relief for migraine and cluster headache when used at the onset of pain. gammaCore nVNS is also clinically proven to prevent migraine pain when used just twice daily with two, 2-minute stimulations, once in the morning and again at night.
To see if gammaCore is right for you, visit our clinic finder to locate a health care provider near you, or contact our dedicated Customer Experience team at 888-903-2673 or customerservice@electrocore.com.
