Migraine is a common yet very disabling health condition. About 39 million women, men, and children in the United States have migraines, according to the Migraine Research Foundation.
Upper cervical chiropractors in Rockford always warn migraine patients about the common triggers of their condition. Migraine triggers are the things that can bring on an attack. They are different for every patient.
If you want to stay clear of migraines or reduce your episodes, we advise you to distinguish your triggers and avoid them at all costs. Here’s a quick list of the leading migraine triggers as well as the best way to cope with them. We hope this list can help you be successful in your migraine management approach.
1. Sensory Triggers
Many migraineurs experience an episode following exposure to bright lights, loud sounds, strong smells, and similar sensory triggers. Sensory overload can trigger migraines; thus, you need to prepare yourself.
Wear sunglasses outdoors, especially when the sky is sunny. If you work in front of the computer for long hours, consider purchasing anti-glare glasses, which have a coating to block the glare that comes off of your monitor.
If you get migraine headaches from strong smells, you may need to stop using cologne or perfume. Instead, choose a milder scent or go frangrance free. It might help to switch your cleaning products to natural ones as they don’t consist of smelly toxic chemicals. Also, stay far from people who are smoking cigarettes.
Use earplugs if you know you are going to be in a place with loud sounds.
To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and migraines, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.
2. Sleep Disturbances
Another leading migraine trigger is changes in sleeping schedule or sleep disturbances. For example, if you pull an all-nighter to get some work done; the result can be a migraine episode the next day. How do you keep the consistency in your sleeping schedule?
One way we recommend is to set your bedtime and waking up time. Stick to the schedule on weekdays, weekends, and even on holidays and your vacation. This should instruct your body to sleep during specific hours. As a result, you should not have difficulty falling asleep.
It is also vital to create a sleep-friendly environment. First, make sure your room has a cold temperature. Next, your bed and pillows should be comfortable. And lastly, remove the stimuli in your room, such as sounds and lights.
3. Dehydration
This is perhaps the easiest to control among the many migraine triggers. Avoid dehydration by drinking at least eight glasses of water each day. If you do extensive exercise, you need to drink at least twelve glasses.
There are free mobile apps that can help you track your water intake every day. If you think you are not getting enough water, drink more.
Remember that there is no alternative to water. Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks may dehydrate you. So, drink even more water if you always consume those types of beverages.
4. Stress
According to the American Migraine Foundation, stress is a trigger for as many as 70% of migraineurs. This makes stress the number one trigger of migraines.
Since stress is a fact of life and unavoidable, practicing positive coping mechanisms is the best way to deal with this trigger.
First of all, assess the stress in your life and steer clear of negative stress that won’t do you any good. Second, apply positive coping methods when dealing with stress, including rest, relaxation techniques, and therapeutic pastimes. Above all, avoid bad habits such as drinking alcohol or smoking as they can make your migraine attacks even worse.
5. Weather Changes
The weather is one of the most challenging triggers to control and avoid. Even moving to an area with a better climate is not a guarantee that a migraine attack would not occur.
Your best bet to reduce the frequency of your attacks is to learn the specific weather patterns that trigger your migraines. Do not schedule important events during seasons when the weather is not favorable for you. Always check the weather forecast and change your schedule for the week if you must. Choose to go out on the days you feel the weather is convenient.
The Best Natural Migraine Care
Beside avoiding the migraine triggers we listed above, there is another method to fend off migraine episodes naturally. It involves us, upper cervical chiropractors in Rockford.
Many of our patients have benefited from upper cervical chiropractic. This technique includes accurate measurements of the C1 and C2 vertebrae of the upper cervical spine. After that, gentle adjustments follow.
An upper cervical misalignment is often the underlying cause of many conditions, including migraines. Upper cervical chiropractors focus on the C1 and C2 vertebrae for a couple reasons:
- The cervical spine facilitates the flow of blood to the brain.
- The C1 vertebra protects the brainstem, which is the avenue of communication between the body and the brain.
An upper cervical misalignment can disrupt the functions of the brainstem and the flow of blood to the brain. For this reason, corrections are necessary to bring back the body functions to normal.
Contact our practice – Upper Cervical Care Center-Rockford in Illinois – if you want to give upper cervical chiropractic care a try. We can help realign your C1 and C2 vertebrae. The goal of our adjustments is to help keep your vertebrae in the correct positions as long as possible, which can result in a reduction or disappearance of your migraine episodes altogether.
To schedule a consultation with Dr Schalow, call our Rockford office at 815-384-1127. You can also click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
