The Surprising Truth about Migraine Triggers
How much do you really know about controlling your migraines?
New research suggests you may not know as much as you think.
According to Timothy T. Houle, Ph.D and co-author Dana P. Turner, M.S.P.H., both of the Wake Forest Baptist anesthesiology department, migraine sufferers make inaccurate conclusions about what triggers their migraines. Houle and Turner conducted a 3-month study of 9 women who suffered from migraines. They tracked the women’s hormone levels, their stress levels and the weather. The women kept daily diaries. At the end of the study, the scientists could not accurately predict which triggers would cause a migraine.
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Their conclusion—most people can’t isolate the many complex variables in everyday life to accurately determine their migraine triggers.
So what can you do? Can you start eating anything you want? Do you give up managing your migraines?
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What are Migraine Triggers?
Migraine triggers are factors that increase the chance that you will get a migraine. They don’t cause a migraine. Instead, they play a role in activating the process that leads to a migraine.
Not every trigger causes a migraine for every person and even if a person is sensitive to a particular trigger, they may not get a migraine every time they are exposed to it. The list of triggers is broad. Hormone fluctuations can trigger a migraine. Sometimes birth control pills increase migraines (while sometimes pregnancy prevents them). Stress can be a factor. And while genetics can’t “trigger” a migraine, it plays a role in how likely you are to suffer from migraines in general.
The most common type of trigger is food. Typical food triggers include aged cheeses, sour cream, processed meats, yeast breads, peanuts, broad beans, peas, lentils, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, wine (especially red wine), vinegar, fermented foods like soy sauce or miso, some fish, avocados, bananas, citrus fruits, figs, raisins, red plums and raspberries. In addition, some people are sensitive to nitrates, nitrites, yellow food coloring and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Some people know certain foods will likely trigger a migraine later but not always, while others have found that every time they eat a certain food or spice they will get a migraine.
Other triggers are non-food. Some people notice that fatigue, lack of sleep, sleeping too much, missing meals, changes in barometric pressure, changes in altitude or bright flashing lights can trigger a migraine. Strong smells such as paint, gasoline or heavy perfumes can also cause a migraine.
Are Migraine Triggers a Myth?
While researchers may disagree about the accuracy of pinpointing migraine triggers, it’s important to remember that you know your body better than a scientist. Even if you haven’t conducted double-blind, single variable experiments, you have lived with migraines for years and you know how your body works. If you find a correlation between a trigger and your migraines, you are better off just avoiding whatever it is that seems to trigger a migraine in you.
Part of the difficulty of identifying triggers is that some triggers may only exist under certain circumstances. For example, you may be able to eat cheese and bread under normal circumstances but once you are stressed, you may notice that they can cause a migraine. You may be more sensitive when you have multiple triggers at once.
I always support your own knowledge of your body. You know your triggers and I respect your intuition.
How Can Acupuncture Help Migraines?
Research about how acupuncture can affect migraines has been going on for the last two decades. In 2004 Vickers, Rees, Zollman, McCarney, Smith, Ellis et al conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture in long term migraine treatment in a study with 401 patients over one year. The patients who received acupuncture had 22 fewer headache days over the year, used 15% less medication, had 25% fewer visits to their primary care regarding their headaches, and missed 15% fewer days of work due to headaches.
For chronic migraine sufferers, these results are huge. Unfortunately right now modern medicine has very few options for migraines, usually the only option is to take pain medication that doesn’t actually stop the migraine, only dulls the pain to allow you to try and endure the migraine until it goes away. Acupuncture can often help reduce migraine frequency and the intensity of the headache. Some people even report no longer having migraines after regular treatments. While results can vary, treatments can mean the difference between being able to function or being incapacitated during a migraine.
Kate Ruma & Associates Acupuncture
180 Mass Ave. Suite 301 / Arlington, MA 02474
617.372.3960 / info@kateruma.com / www.kateruma.com
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