Migraines often have common triggers. It is important for you to identify and eliminate triggers in your life. The most common triggers we see are:

• Dehydration

• Skipping meals (effects blood sugar regulation)

• Meals high in carbohydrates and sugar (effects blood sugar regulation)

• Lack of or interrupted sleep

• Visual disturbance such as too much screen time (tv, iPad, computer, phone)

• Poor posture

• Weather changes

• Sensory overload such as bright lights, loud music etc

• Medications

• Poor breathing or mouth-breathing

• Stress

• Menstrual cycle 

• Not enough exercise or exercise is too heavy 

Particular food and drink triggers for migraines:

• Alcohol

• Caffeine

• Processed foods

• Colourings and additives to food

• MSG

• Aged cheese

• Aged, canned, cured or processed meat (including bologna, game, ham, herring, hot dogs, pepperoni and sausage)

• Aspartame

• Beans (including pole, broad, lima, Italian, navy, pinto and garbanzo)

• Brewer’s yeast (including fresh yeast coffee cake, donuts and sourdough bread)

• Canned soup or bouillon cubes

• Chocolate, cocoa, and carob

• Cultured dairy products (such as buttermilk and sour cream)

• Lentils

• Meat tenderizer

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

• Nuts and peanut butter

• Papaya

• Passion fruit

• Pea pods

• Pickled, preserved or marinated foods (such as olives and pickles, and some snack foods)

• Raisins

• Red plums

• Sauerkraut

• Seasoned salt

• Snow peas

• Soy sauce 

Lifestyle changes to be made:

• Try sleeping or lying down in a darkened room during a migraine

• Try to avoid things you know trigger your migraines, such as certain foods

• Stay well hydrated and limit how much caffeine and alcohol you drink

• Try to keep to a healthy weight

• Eat meals at regular times

• Get regular exercise

• Get plenty of sleep

• Try to manage your stress

• Eat regularly and do not skip meals

• Keep a regular sleep schedule

• Exercise regularly. Aerobic exercise can reduce tension and keep your weight in check. Obesity can contribute to migraines

• Keep a migraine journal to track what triggers your migraines and what treatments are most helpful

• Regular adjustments to the neck and upper back. Chiropractic is extermely effective with decreasing the frequency and intensity of migraines and something we help lot in practice at Pure Health Chiropractic.

Everyday:

• Take magnesium glycinate. It is good to have before bed as it also assists sleep however, NEVER take magnesium or any other vitamins near coffee as you won’t absorb the nutrients. 

How to choose the correct magnesium:

• You need to find a magnesium that has a high component of magnesium glycinate

• Make sure there are no other additives like vitamin C, colours, fillers etc.

• Make sure there are no fillers or additives that are bad for health.  

If you are getting a migraine:

• Take double the amount of magnesium that you normally take

• Drink 300ml of water

• Go into a dark room where there is fresh air away from all sensory overload and try to sleep

• Book an appointment with a chiropractor