Migraines are more than bad headaches — they’re a neurological disorder that can bring intense head pain, nausea, numbness, and vision disturbances. The condition also causes heightened sensitivity to light and sound. A migraine attack can last up to three days. Its onset has been linked to constriction and dilation of blood vessels and dysfunction in the nervous system.
Among the key triggers for migraines are stress, smoking, alcohol, bright lights, loud noises, premenstrual syndrome in women, excessive sun exposure, sleep disturbances, and irregular eating patterns. But there are also less obvious factors that can contribute to this debilitating condition — and specialists say they’re worth paying attention to.
Perfumes
In 2016, a team of researchers from the American Headache Society found that the scent of perfumes is a common cause of migraines.
Chemicals in fragrances — called odorants — activate olfactory receptors, can irritate the sinuses, and may trigger severe headaches.
Three-quarters of people who are sensitive to strong smells and who suffer from migraines blame perfumes for their attacks.
Sudden Relaxation
Migraine attacks after a stressful work week are common. Neurologists say these episodes result from fluctuations in cortisol levels. Cortisol rises during stress and drops during relaxation, and that drop can trigger a migraine.
In 2014, researchers at the Montefiore Headache Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University studied the link between post-stress relaxation and migraine onset. They found that people prone to migraines who experience a sudden fall in stress are at risk of having a migraine the next day. Migraine-prone brains don’t like change.
Sex
As strange as it may seem, sex is also considered a potential trigger for migraines. Often these headaches follow intense physical exertion such as running, lifting heavy objects, or rowing.
Dr. Ali Zandi, a neurologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who specializes in headaches, noted that healthy aerobic exercise is typically recommended to most patients. Yet paradoxically, certain types of exertion, including sex, can indeed lead to headaches.
Many people, however, believe sex can relieve migraine symptoms. They think the endorphin release during orgasm can block pain.
Weather
About one-third of people who regularly suffer from migraines report they most often get them when storm clouds gather, the sky darkens, and the wind picks up.
This is related to changes in atmospheric pressure. Typically our sinuses are filled with air. When atmospheric pressure drops, a difference forms between the outside pressure and the air pressure in the sinuses, which can cause pain around the temples.
Anger
Think of something that once made you furious. Maybe it was an unfair grade in school, or someone cutting you off on the highway. You immediately notice your shoulder muscles tighten and your neck become tense.
High levels of anger are associated with increased muscle tension. That tension is a reflex response to external stressors and a way the body braces against pain. These internal reactions to anger and frustration can trigger a migraine attack.
Teeth Grinding
Nearly 10 percent of people grind their teeth while sleeping or doing routine tasks. Scientists call this bruxism.
Teeth grinding is a subconscious habit. Often a person grinds their teeth while sleeping and wakes up with a severe headache.
Constant, involuntary teeth grinding wears down the temporomandibular joint — the sliding hinge that connects the skull to the jaw. That joint is surrounded by muscles that relax and contract to control the jaw, and those muscles connect to the cheeks and chin. When you clench your teeth, pain can reverberate through the mouth and into the head.
Aged Cheeses
Many aged cheeses — such as Camembert, Gorgonzola, cheddar, and Parmesan — contain the alkaloid tyramine. This organic compound can trigger severe headaches, raise blood pressure, and increase blood sugar levels, according to the Daily Mail.
The longer cheese is aged, the more tyramine it contains. Tyramine can cause an initial constriction followed by dilation of blood vessels in the brain.
