It’s important to make a list to keep track of YOUR triggers.
There’s plenty of lists online for “migraine triggers” but they may not all apply to you! Or maybe you haven't encountered them yet. Or maybe they only affect you when you have a combination of them at the same time. Migraines can be complicated to track!
Sometimes you may encounter a trigger that you may not see often, or for a number of years and forget about them... then have an "oh yeah!" moment when they crop back up.
Keeping a list of triggers keeps them fresh in your memory and keeps you focused on preventing them when they DO come up.
I also like to keep a list of "potential" triggers that I've found didn't affect me, or might not have affected me. Sometimes it's hard to tell depending on what else I have going on in my life so I maybe couldn't rule out that trigger entirely at the time. But putting potential triggers on a list is a;sp helpful so that I have a list of triggers to analyze when my migraines come back.
Below are my specific triggers:
Definite Triggers:
- Stress
- Crying
- Barometric Pressure
- Hot Weather
- Dehydration
- Sleeping hot at night
- Skipping Meals
- Bright light flashes against dark backgrounds
- Chocolate
Definite Non-Triggers:
- Exercise
- Red wine
- Strong smells
- Computer screens
- Coffee
- Loud sounds
- Nitrates
- Onions
- Nuts
- Citrus Fruits
Potential Triggers (requires more tracking):
- MSG
- Extremely salty food
- Aged cheeses
- Poor Posture