A migraine is a type of chronic headache that appears with vomiting, nausea, and sensitivity to light. The migraine pain can last for a few hours to days. It appears in 4 stages; prodrome, aura, attack, and postdrome. However, not all people face all migraine stages. The pain intensity of migraine may differ from person to person. You should get migraines treatment Pennsylvania to manage the pain. There is no particular cause behind migraine but some research shows that it is related to brain chemistry and genes. There are also some risk factors and triggers like hormone changes, stress medication, etc that affect the migraine. Along with these, your food can also trigger migraines. There are certain food items and drinks that often trigger migraines. If you have a migraine, you should avoid all food items that can trigger the pain.
Caffeine
Too much caffeine intake can trigger migraine or other headaches. Most people prefer a cup of coffee whenever they feel stressed or have a headache. Drinking a hot cup of coffee provides good relief from stress and headache. But you must limit your caffeine intake. Drinking too much coffee can trigger your migraine. People who drink too much coffee can experience caffeine withdrawal issues. Many pieces of research show that drinking a cup of coffee can stop the migraine trigger. However, it is only temporary relief and it can cause more problems later. You should limit your coffee cups to prevent migraine triggers. Instead of coffee, you can drink any hot drink like herbal tea, milk, or even water. Any hot drink reduces headaches.
Artificial sweeteners
Lots of processed food items contain artificial sweeteners. Some sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame are linked with headaches and migraine. If you take a large amount of aspartame, it can become a stand-alone trigger for your headaches. Usually, sweeteners trigger the migraine when they are combined with other potential triggers. If the artificial sweeteners seem to be a trigger for your headache then you should avoid them when you are experiencing other triggers like stress, menstrual period, etc.
Chocolates
People often get headaches after eating chocolates. It is considered the second most common food item to trigger migraine pain. About 22 perfect people face migraine pain after eating chocolates. But still, many types of research show that there is no link between chocolates and migraine. The participants received chocolate without knowing what they got, they didn’t get any migraine triggers. In some cases, the chocolate trigger might be psychological. But on the safer side, if you have a migraine, you should avoid eating chocolates.
Alcohol
Alcohol is the most common trigger for migraine and other headaches. It acts as a trigger in about 35% of people with migraine. Alcohol, particularly red wine and white wine are a potential migraine trigger. The percentage of alcohol in any drink can increase blood flow to the brain and cause dehydration. Both dehydration and increased blood flow in the brain can trigger migraines and headaches. People with migraines or any headache pain usually have bad hangovers. Avoid drinking alcohol especially wine if you have migraine issues. Alcohol abuse not only triggers but can also cause migraine problems.
Food items containing MSG
Monosodium glutamate is a type of food additive. It is found in soy sauce and various other products that can trigger migraine and other headaches. MSG can also cause many digestion problems. Soy sauce is a common migraine trigger. It acts as a migraine trigger due to MSG. Soy sauce is also salty which causes dehydration and can trigger migraine pain. MSG is found in lots of food items as a food additive and it is considered safe. Few pieces of research show MSG can trigger severe migraine episodes.
Processed and cured meats
Cured meat items like hot dogs, ham, deli meats, sausages, etc contain preservatives known as nitrates. It is used to preserve color and flavor. The preservatives may dilate blood vessels and trigger headaches in many people. Eating small amounts of these chemicals may not cause any people. But some people can be very sensitive to these items and get headaches easily.
Aged cheeses
Cheese is one of the favorite food items for many people. From pizza to any dish, cheese is always a winning item. Adding cheese to any dish makes it tastier. But aged cheese can trigger your migraine. It contains a substance known as tyramine. This substance forms when aging causes the breakdown of protein. Aged cheese has high tyramine content that can trigger migraine and headaches. Common food items that contain a high amount of tyramine are:
- Blue cheese
- Parmesan
- Feta
Pickled and fermented foods
Other food products that contain high amounts of tyramine are pickled and fermented foods. Everyone likes pickles and kimchi as a side dish with their main course. Pickles enhance the taste of every bite. Kimchi is also widely used in Asian countries. People eat kimchi as a side dish or also add it to various dishes. These fermented food items can trigger headaches and migraine.
Frozen foods
Frozen foods like ice creams are tasty but are not good for anything. Many people feel a stabbing headache after eating ice cream. But this reaction is usually due to the cold not due to the ingredients. People feel headaches after eating which increase when their bodies are overheated. The pain intensity of a migraine that is triggered due to ice cream is usually high. The pain can peak immediately within 30-60 seconds.
Salty food items
Certain salty foods, especially processed food items can trigger migraine pain. Common food items that can trigger your migraine pain are canned soup, frozen shrimp, ham, instant pudding, etc. Consuming salty food items increases blood pressure which can trigger headaches and migraine attacks.
Find your migraine trigger and avoid all those food items. If you face severe migraine pain then you should consult a doctor. Some home remedies and lifestyle changes can also prevent migraine triggers.