|
Although
we know a lot about migraines, one of the things we don't quite
understand yet surprisingly is what causes them. There
are several treatment options, but the effectiveness of them varies
considerably. There are new options under consideration, but
until they are proven safe, they are not able to provide relief
for most migraine patients. All of this puts migraine sufferers
in rough spot.
Still,
there is hope, and the migraine sufferer doesn't have to surrender
to the pain. Even though we don't completely comprehend all
the things which seem to cause these vicious headaches and their
debilitating symptoms, fortunately we do know about some of the
triggers that bring on the headaches. And we know that if we can
avoid these recognized triggers, we often are able to decrease the
number of migraine attacks we experience and the severity of the
ones that do strike.
With
all of that said, let's examine some of the better-known triggers
that often set off migraines:
- There
are certain food triggers. Eating some things bring on migraines
in many people. For instance, consuming nitrites / nitrates,
MSG (monosodium glutamate) as well as alcohol have each been linked
to migraine attacks, as has chocolate in some people. Avoiding
these trigger items in your diet can be an effective way of reducing
the number of your attacks.
- Ironically
another trigger is food. Therefore you obviously against
avoid migraines by eliminating all or even most food. Hungry
people have more migraine attacks than people who eat regularly
and eat well. So don't cut back on meals, just on the MSG
and alcohol!
- Some
medicines are also triggers, especially prescription medications. Women are the ones more susceptible to medicinal triggers,
although they are not unheard of in men. This is because
two of the most common and powerful medicinal triggers are birth
control pills and hormone replacement therapy that includes ingesting
estrogen.
- Another
potential trigger for migraines can be a lack of sleep. Therefore
one good defensive measure for fighting off migraine attacks is
getting to bed early and keeping reasonable hours.
There
are, of course, numerous other potential triggers. In fact,
pages of substances and behaviors have been linked to migraine headaches
in at least a few instances. Some affect more people than
others, and some are more significant triggers than others.
While
we don't yet know the exact cause of migraines, and we can't completely
cure them yet, we do have enough evidence to know the usual triggers. This allows more effective treatment as we advise people what
to avoid in order to reduce the number of attacks. Basically
this means that if you watch what you eat, but eat regular meals,
get plenty of bed-rest, and monitor your medications, you can eliminate
a lot of headaches, and make the rest a lot more endurable. Migraines
might still strike but with the right strategy, they don't have
to take you out of commission. |