Understanding Migraine Triggers: Causes and Solutions

Headaches and Migraines are very common from children having migraines to adult. The triggers and cause of migraines are different for everyone. Below are some of the possible triggers:

• Fasting
• Food
• Hormonal – pre and menstrual cycle –
• Sleep – oversleep or lack of sleep, change of time of sleep and week end different sleep
• Activities
• Stress – due to high demand job, conflicts, arguments, family problems, society, aggressiveness
• Emotional such as crying and anxiety
• Environmental – hay-fever, allergies, pollution, wind, rain, cold weather, hot weather, dust, cigarette in the air, cigarette smoking, air pollution, perfumes, strong perfumes (due to possibly liver detox slow, cleaning products, gasoline,

Certain foods that trigger more than others are:

• Chocolate
• Sausage
• Allergies to foods and drinks
• Salami or processed meat
• Monosodium glutamate (from soy sauce and Chinese food), as well as some vegetables cubes and olive (check labels for any processed food).
• Cheese, some hard cheese and fermented cheese more than others
• Dairy milk
• Aspartame in certain foods including some chew gums, fizzy drinks and processed drinks
• Alcohol
• Red wine, depending on the amount of sulphur and additive that they have, women more susceptible for the red wine.
• Coffee is a catch 22, as caffeine helps reduce the headaches and some migraines and for some people the withdraw of coffee can trigger a migraines or headaches
• Citric fruits
• Ice creams
• Nuts

What worked in the research studies is a combination of Magnesium citrate (as most absorbed) at about 350 mg for an adult to 600mg a day, combined with a good multivitamins and minerals during the day and CoQ10.

Magnesium is found in drinking bottled water, all green leafy vegetables, bananas, nuts and seeds. For some people though food intake of magnesium is not enough, depends on their triggers, stress level and the way their own bodies deals with magnesium.

I would suggest a good multivitamin from any of the good brand and the CoQ10 from my experience is G&G brand, you just need one capsule a day. Magnesium citrate or a mix of magnesium from BioCare powder as you can increase or decrease your magnesium intake according to your needs and at the start of your headache/migraines and during, as well as investigating the trigger of your headache and eliminating it. If you are taking any prescribed medications do consult your doctor before taking any magnesium, especially if you have had a heart surgery or any heart problems.

As a therapist I would treat any possible food trigger with the method NAET and combine the treatment or even by itself with CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY, MINDFULNESS MEDITATION and HEART RESILIENT meditation, as well as Neuro-Linguistic Programming tools for old emotional and learning or positive resources, to reduce the stress level and the muscle tension, as well as allowing the system to flow nicely.

This is combined with nutrients and supplements if that is essential as well.

Reference:

Fukuil et al. (2008). Migraines triggers factors. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2008;66(3-A):494-499

Gaul et al. (2015). Improvement of migraine symptoms with a proprietary supplement containing riboflavin, magnesium and Q10: a randomized,

placebo-controlled, double-blind, multi-center trial. The Journal of Headache and Pain (2015) 16:32.

Izabela Domitrz and Joanna Cegielska (2022). Magnesium as an Important Factor in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Migraine—From Theory to Practice. Nutrients. Nutrients, 14, 1089. https:/doi.org/10.3390/nu14051089.

© Maria Esposito BSc (Hons) R-Nutritional Therapist – NAET for allergies – R-Craniosacral Therapist – NLP – Angel Guide Certified – Mindfulness Meditation teacher- Resilient heart (heart-Math)