1. Stress
Numerous illnesses, including gastrointestinal issues, muscle tightness, and an elevated risk of heart attack, are mostly brought on by stress. Regretfully, migraines can also be brought on by stress.
Stress can be attributed to having an overly busy schedule, an endless to-do list, or frequent meetings. However, physical strain, such as fatigue following an exceptionally hard workout, might also put you in the migraine zone.
2. Anxiety
As with stress, your migraines may be caused by an excessive sense of anxiety. From infrequent anxiety to anxiety disorders, anxiety can take many forms.
Anxiety brought on by migraines can also start a vicious cycle. You can become irritated and nervous if you’re always worried about when the next attack will occur and helpless about its symptoms. Then, a migraine attack may truly be brought on by that anxiety.
3. Hormones
Hormones are probably the reason why women are more prone than males to get chronic migraines. Menstrual migraines can occur up to 19% of the time , and 60% of these women also get migraines at other times of the month.
Menopause, hormonal birth control, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and hormone replacement therapy are some factors that may be connected to migraines.
4. Not Enough Sleep
One of the most crucial parts of your health is getting enough sleep, and not getting enough sleep can cause migraines. An attack may be brought on by getting too little, too much, or not getting enough sleep on a regular basis.
Furthermore, grinding your teeth while you sleep and sleep apnea, which is characterized by recurrent obstructions of the airway during sleep that restrict or stop breathing, can also result in migraine headaches.
5. Caffeine
If you’re a caffeine lover, it might actually be the cause of your migraines (even though some people occasionally use caffeine for headache relief).
The reason for caffeine leading to migraines isn’t completely clear, but it may be because it affects a naturally occurring substance in your brain called adenosine — the same substance that increases during a migraine attack.
Also, drinking caffeine three or more days a week can lead to dependency. As a result, not drinking enough caffeine that your body is used to can make migraine-sufferers experience attacks.
6. Smoking
Cigarettes are damaging to your body in many ways, like putting you at a higher risk for heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. You can also add migraines to that list.
The nicotine in cigarettes causes your body’s blood vessels to constrict (or narrow), allowing less blood to get to your brain. This is one of the causes of migraine headaches.
Nicotine withdrawal can also lead to migraines, specifically for those who smoke less frequently. For instance, if you smoke one cigarette in the morning and then wait until the afternoon before having another, you might get a migraine in between. Of course, quitting smoking altogether can prevent nicotine withdrawal-related migraines in the long term.
7. Medications
Migraines may be brought on by certain drugs. These same drugs, though, might also be vital for other aspects of your health. Be remembered to discuss any medication stops with your healthcare practitioner.
Prescription or over-the-counter migraine drugs can occasionally exacerbate migraine symptoms. Medication Overuse Headache is the result of using more painkillers than necessary to treat your migraines, which in turn makes them worse.
8. The Weather
You can get a migraine as a storm is about to blow through. Some people’s migraines may be triggered by abrupt changes in the weather. Some see it as just one type of weather, like an approaching storm. Others experience it as something entirely different, such as a shift in temperature.
Migraines caused by the weather are more common when several variables are involved. For example, if you’re not getting enough sleep, a significant change in the weather could push you over the line into a migraine zone.
9. Certain Lights, Noises, and Smells
Your migraines can be the result of overactive senses. Strong odors or loud noises can set off a migraine attack.
Different people are affected by lights, sounds, and smells in different ways. One individual may be allergic to a certain scent, for example, whereas another person may be able to use the same perfume without experiencing any symptoms at all.
10. Specific Foods and Drinks
Certain foods or beverages can cause migraines in certain people, especially when combined with other triggers.