Some Migraine Triggers That Might Surprise You

Those who suffer from migraines may know why they are caused. However, it would be more profitable to understand what triggers them and take the necessary precautions.

About 36 million people in the United States, or 12 percent of the American population, suffer from migraine. One in seven people undergo it every year. Sometimes headaches last for several days, according to Medical News Today.

It is important, therefore, to understand the causes.

If you are not used to regular aerobics, then running can cause migraines. Regular exercise can lessen the intensity, but a sudden exercise can trigger it, according to a study conducted at the Headache Center in Atlanta. To avoid and lessen migraines, a regular workout routine should be developed.

Another migraine trigger is lack of sleep, as well as too much sleep. Oversleeping may disturb the circadian rhythm, hence setting off a migraine attack, according to the Office on Women's Health  at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is important therefore to be regular about your sleep patterns.

Even as stress is a common trigger, so is taking a break from a tension-packed period, that may lead to a fall in the level of cortisone, leading to headaches, according to a 2014 study published in the journal Neurology.

"Reduction in stress from one day to the next is associated with migraine onset the next day," wrote the study authors. "Decline in stress may be a marker for an impending migraine attack and may create opportunities for preemptive pharmacologic or behavioral interventions."

Hence, even though there is no cure for them, migraines can be managed better through lifestyle changes, according to HNGN.