There are many different kinds of triggers, and every person has different ones.
You may have some triggers that start your headache attack at one time, and then these triggers can change. Triggers can be divided into different groups, including:
Emotional triggers: These are triggers that have to do with emotions and your state of mind. Some examples of emotional triggers are: family problems, problems at work, success at work or school, anticipation, anxiety, an emotional crisis, the post-crisis period, a new job, a new school, weekends, and so on.
Stress triggers: These have to do with physical effort, such as strenuous exercise, excessive physical work at the work place or at school, physical sickness, not enough sleep, too much sleep, and so on.
Environmental triggers: These triggers are responses to our surroundings. For example, bright lights, different kinds of aromas like perfume, tobacco, or any kind of odor. We can also include loud noises, altitude, weather, and barometric pressure changes. I have a patient who can predict rain two hours before it starts because of the barometric pressure change that triggers her headaches.
Chemical triggers: The most common chemical triggers are hormonal changes that occur during the premenstrual period, during a woman’s period, or during the post-menstrual period. These triggers are extremely common in women who suffer headache. But there are a variety of chemical triggers, such as low blood sugar that results after not having eaten for many hours. This is a very common trigger for headache.
Food and beverage triggers: Rarely do we connect our eating habits with headaches, but there is a strong relationship that often goes unnoticed. Some foods are commonly related to headaches.
- Some of the most common trigger foods are:
- Hard cheese
- Hot dogs
- Chocolate
- Nuts
- Less common food triggers are:
- Smoked fish
- Vinegar
- Fermented food (cream, yogurt)
- Freshly baked yeast products
- Peanuts (and peanut butter)
- Monosodium glutamate (commonly found in Chinese food)
- Soybean
- Onion
- Canned figs
- Citric food
- Bananas
- Pork
- Caffeinated beverages
- Avocado
- Liver
I have noticed that a few of the above-mentioned triggers are more common than others. Bananas, pork, and Chinese food seem to be high on the list. You have to take into account that certain foods may serve as intermittent triggers, but once a food has affected you once, it becomes a risk factor. In addition, almost any alcohol drink may trigger a headache, but red wine is the most common culprit.
How Can You Recognize Your Triggers?
One of the most important aspects of headache treatment is your own control over your headache, and control starts with identifying your own triggers, and learning to avoid them.
I recommend writing down your triggers in a trigger diary. Each time you have a headache, try to relate it to one or more of the triggers that are listed above. At the end of the month you can sit down and analyze your results to see which are the most common triggers in your case.
