Amy & Aron's

If you’ve ever had a migraine, you will know just how painful and how debilitating they can actually be. You might also be wondering what you can do about them. To answer that, you need to get to the root cause of the problem.

Migraines remain something of a medical mystery, but it is thought that they could ultimately be caused by central nervous disorders, genetics or irregularities in the blood vessel system of the brain, which is why you can buy cold stone therapy kits - like the ones chiropractors use to deal with blood flow, at ScripHessco. Although these may be the ultimate causes of migraine, it is fair to say that most people have a trigger that causes the onset of a migraine, and if you can find yours, you could put a stop to many of your migraines...

Food

Many people are triggered by food. Foods that are high in salt, or foods which have been aged, like salami or blue cheese, as well as beverages containing caffeine or alcohol are particularly linked with migraines, but it may be worth keeping a food diary to see if what you eat correlates with migraine episodes in any way, so that you can eliminate any problem foods from your diet.

Fasting

Not eating for long periods of time is also a known trigger for migraine headaches, so try to avoid skipping meals if at all possible.

Sweeteners and Preservatives

A common sweetener called aspartame is known to trigger migraines in some people, as is the preservative MSG, which is commonly found in Chinese food. This would suggest that eating a diet that is far more natural would be beneficial. If you do eat packaged food, be sure to check the labels first.

Stimulation of the Senses

Bright lights, intense smells - such as perfume- and loud noises have all been linked to migraines. The more intense the stimulation, the more likely it is that they will have an effect on you. Wearing sunglasses or earplugs may help you to prevent migraines in these situations, as could not using perfume and washing clothes with non-scented laundry detergents.

Hormones

Hormonal changes in women are very common, and unfortunately, they could trigger migraine headaches. This is particularly common just before and during periods, but it can also happen during pregnancy and at the onset of menopause too. Not only that but medications that affect the hormones could also be responsible for your headaches, and you may want to talk to your doctor about switching to something else if you notice a correlation between the two.

Stress

Stress is so bad for us in so many ways, it can cause insomnia, depression, sickness, and migraines. That’s why it’s so important that you do what you can to keep it in check, whether that be taking up meditation, hitting up a yoga class or scheduling some time off work.

Working out what’s causing your migraines may take some trial and error, but if you pay close attention, chances are you should be able to work it out. If your migraines are new or increasingly intense, please do see a doctor.