Migraines have been a popular complaint from a big chunk of the adult population. However, despite being a prevalent concern, patients sometimes remain unaware of the reason behind their crippling and annoying migraine symptoms. If you're one of those who get unwanted migraine attacks, you may want to bookmark this page to guide you in case you need a quick go-to migraine reference.
This article will cover the leading triggers of a migraine episode, such as poor diet and cervical subluxation. Also, we will look into the benefits of consulting a chiropractor for migraines. After all, countless people complaining about migraine symptoms have found massive relief with the help of upper neck bone adjustments.
So without further adieu, let's deep dive into the commonly reported migraine triggers.
Did you know that women are three times more likely to experience migraines than their male counterparts? Studies blame this trend on lady hormones, particularly estrogen.
The fluctuating estrogen levels trigger a series of symptoms in a woman, including bouts of migraine-related headaches. Women's hormone levels dramatically rise and fall when they are about to reach their menstrual cycle, during or after pregnancy, and during the menopause period. Unfortunately for others, a monthly migraine attack linked to their period can happen.
Skipping meals or eating at an irregular schedule can bring on a migraine. Experts believe that low blood sugar levels influence your migraine episodes due to changes they can bring to your brain. Many migraineurs steer clear of products like chocolates and other sweet or sugary food. Others also avoid food containing tyramine - a protein known to aggravate migraine episodes.
If you suspect specific food items or groups can bring you unwanted and painful migraine attacks, we suggest having a food diary, writing down your symptoms, and working from there. Some changes in your diet may be vital in preventing migraine episodes.
Following a poor diet, dehydration, even on a mild level, can trigger an attack in those experiencing chronic migraine. So keeping track of your water intake daily and ensuring you reach the recommended daily amount is crucial.
Consuming diuretics can also prompt dehydration before migraine. Hence, we strongly suggest avoiding natural diuretics such as green and black tea, coffee, dandelion extract, and parsley.
Some people swear by their need to consume caffeine to prepare for the day. But the tendency to overconsume caffeine is often overlooked. Several beverages, such as coffee, tea, or soda, contain a high amount of caffeine. Hence, it would help to limit your consumption of such drinks and switch to healthier options.
However, you cannot immediately stop caffeine intake the cold turkey way because it can also prompt migraine attacks. Therefore, gradually cutting down your migraine intake could reduce caffeine in your system without triggering an immediate migraine episode.
Additionally, be wary of other caffeinated products, including chocolates, energy drinks, and over-the-counter painkillers. Be mindful of what you consume, especially if chronic migraine is slowly taking over your enjoyment.
Anywhere you are, and whatever you do, your stress levels may increase without warning. Additionally, it's pretty difficult to avoid the stress that triggers migraine episodes, especially if dreading the next episode is one of the reasons why you get stressed in the first place.
Thankfully, managing your stress and levels and purposely doing something to reduce your stress levels may help stop a progressing migraine attack. Once a stressful situation arises, arm yourself with effective and go-to stress relief methods to help manage your stress levels and migraine symptoms.
Think meditation, exercise, aromatherapy, music therapy, massage, or whatever you feel can effectively lower your stress levels. It doesn't have to be grand; sometimes, listening to a song can significantly ease your stress.
If you have been experiencing irregular and interrupted sleep, migraine episodes may soon follow. That's because rest is essential to your body and crucial to repairing cells to stay at an optimum state.
Furthermore, getting a good night's sleep also comes in handy in improving mood and dampening the impact of a migraine episode. Thus, maintaining a proper sleep schedule is essential to your health.
If you have been experiencing sleeping problems, you may want to bring that up to your go-to chiropractor for migraines. This way, you can check and address other underlying conditions linked to poor sleep quality and migraines.
This may be frustrating for migraine patients affected by sudden weather changes. After all, it's not something you can control and work around easily.
So how are migraine and weather-related? Weather conditions such as altitude, humidity levels, barometric pressure, and glare from the sun can trigger migraine attacks. Hence, you might find it helpful to stay up to date with the latest weather report and avoid going out during extreme weather conditions.
If you've recently started taking specific medications and noticed an onset of symptoms pointing to migraines, you might want to talk to your doctor about it. If it's a prescription medication, you may need to explore various options to get the right one for you. Ask your doctor's opinion so you can switch to a new drug or adjust the dosage.
Postural imbalances are not an obvious trigger of a migraine episode. However, over the years, upper cervical chiropractors have seen patterns of spine misalignment leading to migraine. Unfortunately, it's not that apparent to the naked eye, so only trained upper cervical chiropractors for migraines can diagnose the postural misalignment and provide helpful adjustments.
If you have run through a checklist of these triggers and none of the abovementioned showed a link to your migraine, perhaps it's time to visit a chiropractor for migraines and confirm if a neck bone misalignment is a culprit. If it is, they will recommend the proper care to correct the alignment, and things can improve from there.
If you suspect a spine misalignment is the mystery reason for your chronic migraine, and you don't know where to find a trusted upper cervical chiropractor, you don't have to worry.
Upper Cervical Awareness has a long list of certified upper cervical chiropractors. Many of these professionals specialize in various upper cervical techniques like Blair, NUCCA, and Knee Chest Chiropractic. If you wish to explore this migraine relief option, we strongly recommend keying in your location in the doctor's directory and booking your appointment with a chiropractor for migraines.
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The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
