The search for things which could trigger migraine headaches is a continuing quest for those people who are hard to avoid the sometimes unbearable pain which follows the start of a migraine attack. Possibly the most obvious of all migraine headache triggers is stress and those of us who suffer from this neurological condition work hard at either avoiding stress altogether or mitigating the effects as much as possible. Other triggers to avoid are nicotine, alcohol, chocolate, and even nuts.
There is however some folklore which suggests that weather may also be a trigger for migraine headaches, so is this the case?
Chronic back pain and also arthritis sufferers accept that the pain of their condition is significantly affected by changes in the weather and this lends weight to the claims of chronic migraine sufferers that weather also adversely influences their ability to avoid migraines.
The announcement of a forthcoming pressure system might well signal the arrival of a storm to most of us but to the migraine sufferer it often spells trouble. As the sheer weight of the air changes it affects the ease with which we breathe and with which oxygen is moved around the body through the blood vessels. Capillaries may for example constrict more as a result of the altered pressure and this may be the very trigger event for a migraine headache. Counteracting this effect with caffeine is usually one of the quickest and best solutions.
Windiness is another weather pattern which often sets migraine sufferers on edge. Even if the pressure changes accompanying windy conditions are insignificant the mere fact that pollutants which may be triggers for migraine sufferers are swirling all around and cannot be avoided makes this a definite migraine trigger.
In a few cases a migraine may be the secondary effect of a different sort of headache such as a sinus headache. This may present with a fever, difficulty breathing, and bodily aches and pains. If this is compounded by the escalating pain of a migraine the effect can be not only extremely painful but debilitating.
If allergens are the root cause of the sinus headache there may also be a consequent infection which the body will seek to fight off. During this time it is possible that migraine headaches will be triggered because the body is weakened and is susceptible to stress factors.
A change in the weather not only proclaims the potential for one migraine trigger, but it also serves as the starting point for a number of trigger events that may result in numerous migraine attacks. Unluckily, weather related triggers are unavoidable and even remaining indoors has only a partial effect when it comes to avoiding a migraine trigger event.
Consequently, it is advisable to use various preventive measures to avoid a trigger event from actually taking place. Sometimes this means using medication while at other times there are holistic means of migraine trigger avoidance. These might include things like stress relief, cardiovascular exercise, relaxation techniques, aromatherapy, biofeedback, massage therapy and also acupressure of acupuncture.
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