Migraines are one of the worst experiences you can go through. They’re debilitating, last for hours, and come with a slew of unpleasant symptoms ranging from nausea to light sensitivity to sound sensitivity. All in all, it’s not fun – but despite what some people might think, migraines aren’t caused by stress or anxiety. There are many triggers that cause migraines, and most of these have nothing to do with your mental health at all. Migraines specialists can help you get over chronic migraines well. Pay a visit to Houston Interventional Radiology Clinic in Texas. Here are eight common triggers that people don’t often consider when dealing with migraines.
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Hormonal Changes in Women
Migraines are three times more likely to occur in women than men. It’s a little counter-intuitive, as migraines aren’t necessarily viewed as a “women’s issue.” However, this statistic is supported by evidence that suggests that hormonal changes affect the onset of migraine symptoms. Migraines are so closely related to mood and hormone levels that some birth control medications include migraines as one of their side effects.
Light Sensitivity
This might come as a surprise, but you can get migraines from too much light. It’s known as photophobia – which means that your eyes hurt when they’re exposed to too much light. This usually happens when you’re in a very bright environment, like outside on a sunny day. It can get to the point where it hurts for your eyes to be open – which is miserable if you’re already dealing with other migraine symptoms like nausea or sensitivity to sound.
Sharp Scents
Our sense of smell is highly sensitive, and it’s also closely tied to our memory. That means that scents can trigger migraines on a neurological level if you have a bad memory associated with them. The most common example of this is the scent of butterflies. If you’ve ever smelled butterflies, then the chances are that particular scent will come back to haunt you if you have a migraine. It can also happen with perfumes, cleaning products, and so on.
Dietary Triggers
A diet high in processed sugar triggers migraines because most foods containing high amounts of sugar are devoid of essential vitamins or nutrients that your body needs to function correctly. If you don’t get the vitamins and nutrients you need from your food, your body will start to break down. It can be a severe problem if you’re eating a lot of junk food regularly because it’s going to wreak havoc on your whole body, which in turn is going to lead to migraines.
Sleep Changes
Many people don’t realize that sleep changes are a significant cause of migraines. The reason for this is that your body goes through several stages when you’re sleeping, including REM (Rapid Eye Movement). If you’re interrupted during the REM stage – which can be anything from loud noises to moving around in your sleep – it could trigger a migraine. Unfortunately, you can end up triggering migraines with sleep changes even if you aren’t aware that this is happening.
Migraines are debilitating, last for hours, and come with a slew of unpleasant symptoms. There are many triggers that cause migraines, and most of these have nothing to do with your mental health at all. See a migraines specialist when you experience a strange headache.
