Serious Food Triggers For Migraines

Migraines are the most painful type of headache around. Even a tension headache is nothing when compared to migraines. Individuals who suffer from them also normally have recurrent migraines, which means they will keep coming back. This is unlike a headache, which will not always come back once the cause is treated.

Besides the intense pain migraines cause, patients will also deal with nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light, sound, and touch. Migraine pain is usually localized to one side of the head. However, it can affect both. The pain, which can last from a few hours or even for an entire day, is throbbing.

There are many causes of migraines, including genetics, imbalances in brain chemicals, and stress. Many individuals forget, though, that foods can be severe triggers as well. Patients normally take pills for migraine headaches. There are many options here, including dissolvable migraine medication. Patients also have choices when it comes to natural pain relief of migraines. These choices include compresses and blackout curtains. Of course, to stop a migraine from occurring, the precise triggers must be known.

Caffeine

The most popular caffeinated beverages are coffee and tea. Some individuals only drink one cup of coffee or tea a day, but many of them are reliant on the caffeine these beverages contain. Thus, they often find that they require 4 to 5 cups every day to function properly. This is unfortunate, as it is a major reason why caffeine is a serious trigger for migraines.

Individuals who are reliant on caffeine do not drink any, or do not drink enough, will experience withdrawal symptoms. This includes migraines. As such, migraine patients who find their symptoms are worsened by caffeine should devise a plan to slowly taper off their consumption. Going too fast by cutting out even one cup of coffee too early can trigger a serious migraine.

Get more details on what other foods can cause migraines now.

Aspartame

Artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, help individuals avoid refined sugar and excess calories. Unfortunately, the American Migraine Association has proven that it can trigger serious migraine headaches. Aspartame is normally found in diet sodas. Many individuals drink too much soda. Even when this is diet soda, it is not healthy and can result in dehydration. Diet sodas may also contain caffeine, which contributes to migraine headaches.

Furthermore, evidence suggests that aspartame also affects the brain’s levels of serotonin and dopamine. Alterations in both of these can trigger increases in migraine headaches. This is especially true for dopamine, which is found in many migraine medications. When the levels are lowered due to aspartame, patients are at a high risk of experiencing a severe migraine.

Discover a surprising cause of migraine headaches next.

Chocolate

One of the reasons for chocolate triggering migraines is that many brands contain hidden caffeine. This means that migraine patients could be reliant on caffeine without knowing they are. Also, an amino acid called tyramine is found in many types of chocolate. Tyramine affects blood vessel dilation and lowers serotonin. Both of these effects can result in migraines.

Despite this, the major reason why chocolate can cause migraines is that individuals crave chocolate when they are stressed or because of changes in hormones. Stress and hormonal changes do cause migraines. However, consuming chocolate whenever these factors occur can make the brain build its own association with chocolate and migraines.

Uncover information on how sodium impacts migraines next.

Salty Foods

Sodium is a necessary part of an individual’s diet. However, it is very easy for individuals to consume too much salt. This puts them at risk for migraines in several ways. One is because after consuming salty foods, such as potato chips or lunch meat, individuals are often left feeling thirsty. Although they can fix this by drinking water, feeling thirsty means that they are already dehydrated. As mentioned previously, dehydration is a major cause of many headaches, including migraines.

Many salty foods are also highly processed. This means they will contain lots of chemical preservatives. Among the most common preservatives used are nitrates. Nitrates release nitric oxide into the blood. Many studies have made a strong connection between nitric oxide and migraine headaches.

Get the full details on another serious food trigger for migraines now.

Alcohol

The most common reason for a headache to be related to alcohol is due to dehydration the morning after drinking alcohol in excess. For many individuals, one drink with dinner does not cause a headache. However, this is not the case for migraine headaches. Migraine patients have to be careful with their consumption of alcohol. They may even be forced to eliminate it.

Some elements of certain types of alcohol make individuals more prone to migraines as well. This is specifically referring to tannins in red wine. These affect the brain’s production of serotonin. Any changes in serotonin make individuals who experience migraine headaches even more susceptible to one.