Common migraine triggers

Certain foods, beverages, or situations may bring on or trigger your migraines. If you think you get migraines, figuring out what your specific triggers are can be well worth the effort involved.

Your diet can trigger migraines

Review the list of migraine triggers below and try to figure out which ones affect you. Keeping a headache diary may help you to avoid these triggers.

• Alcoholic drinks
• Coffee, tea, cola
• Aged cheese
• Chocolate
• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
• Nitrates (food preservatives)
• Smoked fish
• Nuts
• Pickled foods

Other migraine triggers

You should also know about migraine triggers that relate to how you live. Do any of the following seem linked to your headaches?

• Missed meals
• Psychological stress
• Fatigue or irregular sleep
• Changes in weather
• Traveling to different altitudes

It's also well known that migraine attacks can increase or decrease in response to hormonal fluctuations, such as those that happen during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.

That's why migraines may sometimes coincide with a menstrual period. It's also why you may have stopped getting migraines during pregnancy. And after menopause, there's a good chance you'll never get migraines again.