The search for things which might trigger a migraine is a continuing battle for those of us who are hard to avoid the debilitating pain which follows the onset of a migraine attack. Stress is probably the best known of all migraine triggers and those of us who suffer from this neurological condition work hard at either avoiding stress altogether or mitigating the effects as much as they can. Other triggers to avoid are chocolate, alcohol, nicotine, and even nuts.
Yet there has been some folklore that suggests that the weather might also be a trigger for migraine headaches, so is this indeed the case?
Arthritis and chronic back pains sufferers accept that the pain of their condition is significantly affected by the weather and this lends some credibility to the claims of chronic migraine sufferers that weather can also adversely influence their ability to avoid migraines.
The announcement of a forthcoming pressure system might be an indication of the arrival of a storm to many of us but to those people who suffer from migraines it usually spells trouble. The weight of the actual air is changed and this weight affects the ease with which oxygen is breathed and moved around the body through the blood vessels. For instance, constrict more as a result of the changed pressure and this might be the very trigger event for a migraine. Counteracting this effect with caffeine is often one of the quickest and best solutions.
Windiness is another weather pattern that can put migraine sufferers on edge. Even if the associated pressure changes of windy conditions are minor the mere fact that airborne pollutants which may be triggers for the migraine sufferer are swirling all around makes this a clear migraine trigger.
In some cases a migraine could actually be secondary to a different kind of headache like a sinus headache. This might appear with difficulty breathing, a temperature, and various bodily aches and pains. When this is taken alongside the growing pain of a migraine headache the result can be not only very painful but also debilitating.
If allergens are the root cause of the sinus headache there may also be a consequent infection which the body may have to fight off. During this period there is a fair chance that migraine headaches will be triggered by the weakened body and its heightened susceptibility to stress factors.
As can be seen, a change in weather not only heralds the potential for one migraine trigger, but it actually serves as a jumping off point for a host of trigger events which might result in numerous migraine attacks. Unluckily, weather triggers are unavoidable and even staying indoors will have only a limited effect on the overall avoidance of a migraine trigger event.
Instead, it is advisable to use several preventive measures to avoid trigger events. In some cases this involves the use of medication while at other times you can turn to holistic means of migraine trigger avoidance. These might include things like relaxation techniques, cardiovascular exercise, stress relief, aromatherapy, biofeedback, massage therapy and also acupuncture.