The search for things that could trigger a migraine headache is a continuing quest for those people hard to stay away from the often unbearable pain which follows the onset of a migraine attack. Perhaps the best known of all migraine triggers is stress and sufferers from this neurological condition work hard at either avoiding stress altogether or mitigating the effects as much as possible. Other triggers to try to avoid are chocolate, nicotine, alcohol, and even nuts.
There is however some folklore which holds that weather may also be a trigger for migraine headaches, so is this true?
Arthritis and chronic back pains sufferers recognize that the their pain is greatly affected by changes in the weather and this lends credibility to the view of chronic migraine sufferers that the weather can also adversely influence their ability to avoid migraines.
The announcement of a forthcoming pressure system may well herald the arrival of a storm to most people but for those of us who suffer from migraine headaches it usually spells trouble. The change in the weight of the air affects the ease with which oxygen is breathed and moved through the body through the blood vessels. Capillaries may for instance constrict more because of the altered pressure and this could be the trigger event for a migraine headache. It is worth noting that countering this effect using caffeine is normally one of the quickest and best remedies.
Wind too is another feature of the weather that has migraine sufferers on edge. Even if the pressure changes accompanying windy conditions are minor the fact that airborne pollutants which may be triggers for the migraine sufferer are flying all around and cannot be avoided makes this another definite migraine trigger.
Sometimes a migraine could be the secondary effect of a different sort of headache like a sinus headache. This could present with a temperature, difficulty breathing, and aches and pains. If taken alongside the increasing pain of a migraine headache the effect can be not only extremely painful but also debilitating.
If the root cause of the sinus headache is allergens there could be a subsequent infection which the body may try to fight off. During that period it is possible that migraine headaches will be triggered because the body is weakened and is susceptible to stress factors.
As can be seen, a change in the weather not only heralds the potential for one migraine headache trigger, but it actually acts as the starting point for a variety of trigger events that could lead to numerous migraine attacks. Unhappily, weather triggers cannot be avoided and even remaining indoors will have only a partial effect when it comes to avoiding a migraine trigger event.
Instead, it is sensible to use various preventive measures to avoid a trigger event from actually taking place. In some cases this means using medication while at other times there are holistic solutions to avoid migraine triggers. These might include things like stress relief, cardiovascular exercise, relaxation techniques, biofeedback, aromatherapy, massage therapy and also acupuncture.
Tags: headaches, migraine headaches, Migraines, migranes, sinus headache, tension headache