That pulsating pain on the side of your head just will not ease. Light hitting your eyes causes nausea or even dizziness. Loud noises cause grimaces, and all you long for is a cold room, with a bed, ice-pack and maybe an ice-drenched coffee. When migraines become consistent they can interfere with sleep, causing irritability and even depression. Stress is often blamed, but much too often the most common factor is overlooked or dismissed.
What we stick in our mouths can trigger a migraine.
Some foods contain chemicals that can trigger a migraine, and the more we consume these products, the greater of migraine consistency. To determine if a food item could be the cause of your migraine, consider keeping a food journal and marking down your migraines. After two weeks review the journal to determine if your migraines occurred on a day with the same food. Journal everything, from pizza to a tiny breath mint. This can be beneficial for your doctor as well.
Below are five food substances that may just trigger your next migraine:
Aged Cheeses
The taste of aged cheddar or even goronzola is dreamy, but scientists believe chemical compounds can lead to migraine triggers when mixed with our neurotransmitters. One substance considered as a trigger is tyramine, which is the breakdown of proteins as that cheese ages. Many doctors have promoted a tyramine-free diet to patients successfully. This would also mean to reduce or eliminate consumption of beer, pork, red wine, pickled foods, dried fruit, smoked fish and selected processed meats.
Caffeine
Yes, before you cite the morning news show that indicated drinking coffee can help migraines, the fine print is always ignored. Two days a week should be the max considered for consuming caffeine and a cup during those days are sufficient. Per doctors Cowan amd Shapiro, having more than that can create a dependency, leading to an increase in migraines.
Beans
Yes, this otherwise healthy protein source may become a nightmare to selected people who cannot tolerate the tannin substance in beans. This is a natural complex found in beans, but the focus on its causes to the neurological disadvantages have not been widely researched. Tannin has been known to cling to the digestive tract, and affect substances in our body that our beneficial, such as serotonin.
Chili Peppers
This odd fruit has been known to become problematic to many people by triggering migraines. It has been used in studies to trigger a migraine, while for others it worked the opposite, minimizing pain. This could be because of the capsaicin in the chili peppers. This is a catch-22 food for millions of people. It can either help or hurt.
Hot Dogs
Not surprisingly, hot dogs made the list for migraine-triggering foods. Nitrites are responsible for this trigger, because it is merely a preservative and not intended for healthy consumption. If you have hot dogs in your fridge/freezer as you are reaching for the Motrin, it may be time to toss them.
Seek Professional Guidance
It is always suggested to visit your family doctor to address migraines which can stem from stress, diet, lifestyle and more.