Figuring out what triggers your head pain may be an important step to managing and preventing pain.
While many migraine triggers, such as stress, are well known, here are a few that may come as a surprise to you.
Champagne and Cheese
It seems unfair that two of life’s gastronomic pleasures should be the source of head pain, but unfortunately research suggests this is true. The fermentation process of champagne may induce a migraine.1 And aged cheeses contain a compound called tyramine, which may be a migraine trigger for some people.2 Other foods that contain tyramine include fava beans, dried sausages, and smoked fish.3 (Check out "4 Simple Food Swaps" for easy changes that may help you reduce head pain.)
Stress
If you suffer from migraines, you know how stressful—as well as painful—they can be. Migraines can cause missed work, time away from family and friends, and fear of when the next episode will strike. It can get complicated because stress itself is a known cause of migraines,4 so being stressed that you have a migraine can lead to…more migraines.4 In addition, if you have a high-stress work week followed by a low-stress weekend, the swing between two extremes can be another migraine trigger.5
Not Enough Sleep
The optimal sleep span for adults is seven to eight hours a night, and this is especially true for those who suffer from migraines.6 Research suggests that too little sleep causes changes in the expression of key proteins that help regulate the sensory response in facial nerves (the ones thought to play a key role in migraines).7
Too Much Sleep
On the flipside, changes in sleep patterns (such as getting five hours of shut eye on weeknights and then 10 hours on the weekends) may also trigger a migraine. In fact, oversleeping on Saturday and Sunday can trigger what’s known as the "weekend headache".8
