migraine headache person suffering

Do you suffer from headaches and migraines? If so, your chronic, debilitating, aching, pounding headache, with or without migraine symptoms, could be a thing of the past.

Interested in finding out how?

Well, the key is identifying root cause!

Migraines and headaches are complex and may be triggered by a number of different factors. For one person they may related to hormonal fluctuations. For another they may be due to sinus pressure, odors, dehydration, and food sensitivities.

Use my Migraine Headache Trigger Checklist to help figure out potential causes of your pain. Walk through each of the migraine triggers and ask yourself the questions listed below it. Most of all, awareness is the first step to change.

Migraine Headache Trigger Checklist: 

  • ‏Poor Absorption of Nutrients:

    • Have you checked these nutrient levels?
      • vitamin D
      • magnesium
      • riboflavin
      • coenzyme Q10
      • omega 3 fats
    • Do you use a daily, high quality multivitamin/mineral supplement?
    • Do you have a healthy gut and digest your food properly?
    • Do you consume a nutrient-dense diet?

  • Hypoglycemia or even mild low blood sugar:

    • Do you skip meals?
    • Do you consume a mix of carbohydrate, fat and protein with each meal and snack?
    • Do you choose lower glycemic and higher fiber foods?
    • Has your blood sugar level been checked the past few months?

  • Dehydration:

    • Do you consume at least half of your body weight in ounces of fluid each day?
    • Does your urine appear dark or cloudy?
    • Does your skin appear dry or scaly?
    • Do your lips appear dry or chapped?

  • Caffeine withdrawal or rebound from food, beverage or medication sources:

    • Do you consume caffeine from sources like coffee, tea, soda or chocolate?
    • Do you consume the same amount of caffeine each day?
    • Do your symptoms change when you change your caffeine intake?

  • Sensitivity to food chemicals like nitrates/nitrites, amines, tannins, phenols, and MSG:

    • Do you feel worse after consuming processed meats and cheeses?
    • Do you feel worse after consuming aged and fermented foods?
    • Do you feel worse after consuming chocolate, tea, or alcohol?
    • Do you feel worse after consuming processed foods, high in additives?

  • “Brain freeze”:

    • Are your symptoms related to consuming very cold foods such as ice cream and drinks?
    • Are your symptoms related to breathing in cold air?

  • Food and airborne allergies:

    • Do you have pollen or mold allergies?
    • Do you regularly use anti-histamines or other allergy medication?
    • Do you feel worse during certain seasons of the year?

  • Sleep Issues:

    • Do you feel worse when your sleep habits change?
    • Do you have poor sleep hygiene?
    • Do you get enough sleep each night?
    • Do you excessively nap?
    • Do you rely on sleep aids like supplements and/or medications?

  • Stress:

    • Do you feel worse during periods of high stress?
    • Do you practice any stress management techniques like yoga, meditation, exercise, etc?

  • Light Exposure:

    • Are you exposed to enough sunlight during a typical day?
    • Are you exposed to too much artificial light like bright overhead lights, computer screens, cell phones, other handheld devices?
    • How do symptoms change when you are exposed to flashing lights?

  • Other conditions associated with migraine:

    • TMJ
    • Trauma
    • Noise
    • Odors
    • Physical exertion/exercise
    • Structural defects or muscle tension
    • Hormonal fluctuations (often premenstrual changes)
    • Weather (barometric) changes, especially major changes from high to low pressure or vice versa.
    • Air pressure changes due to moving from high altitude to low altitude or vice versa (driving in mountainous regions, flying, diving, downhill skiing)

In conclusion, the triggers are quite vast and you may experience one trigger or multiple triggers! After reading the triggers, did you learn new pieces of information that may help you figure out the root of your suffering? For more help putting the pieces of the puzzle together, reach out to me for assistance. I have offered relief for many migraine sufferers!

Tagged with →