6 Environmental Triggers for Migraine

6 Environmental Triggers for Migraine

Migraine is primarily a headache with severe symptoms. A typical migraine leads to throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation on one side of the head. In some cases, migraine is also accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. The symptoms of migraine attacks can last for a few hours to days.

A severe migraine attack can interfere with your daily activities. The symptoms of migraines can impact people of all ages.

Environmental triggers for migraine
A host of environmental factors can trigger a migraine attack. Such triggers include air quality, bright sunlight, barometric pressure change, flickering lights, and odors.

1. Weather
Bad weather can have adverse effects on people who are prone to headaches. Various weather conditions such as grey skies, high humidity, rising temperatures, and storms can trigger headaches as well as migraine attacks. Such weather changes can trigger chemical and electrical changes in the brain, leading to migraine attacks and other symptoms of headache.

2. Bright lights
Bright, flickering, or pulsating lights irate some people and are even likely to trigger the symptoms of migraines among some people. If you are already sleep-deprived, stressed, dehydrated, or experiencing low blood sugar due to skipping a meal, bright lights can immediately trigger a migraine attack. These can work as secondary triggers along with bright lights.

3. Odd or strong smell
People who are more prone to headaches and migraines are intolerable to strong or unusual odors. Strong fragrances of perfumes can also lead to headaches, causing an episode of migraine. This phenomenon is referred to as osmophobia and is unique to people with migraine headaches.

4. Noise
Some people are not fond of loud sounds or noise. They experience discomfort, which further leads to stinging pain in the head, causing migraine attacks. Loud noises intensify the pain of the headaches. It also has been observed that such pain usually persists even when the noise is stopped.

5. Electronic screen exposure
Headaches and some migraine attack episodes are associated with long hours of screen time. Such migraine episodes typically impact your personal as well as professional life. Persistent headaches and throbbing pain also interfere with your social obligations and limit your ability to complete work tasks.

6. Air quality
Exposure to polluted air is likely to trigger the symptoms of migraine. This is more prevalent on high-temperature days.

Today, many people deal with frequent or occasional migraine attacks. Hence, it’s essential to understand your specific migraine triggers and do your best to avoid them. If the symptoms of your migraine are quite frequent, you must consult a doctor for specific treatments. Your doctor will prescribe the right medicines combined with self-help remedies and lifestyle changes to prevent the occurrence of migraines. Additionally, talking to your friends and known ones about their own experiences can prove beneficial.