Careful diary-keeping is a great help in identifying the exact nature of tension or migraine headache triggers. Women should include exact dates on which menstruation begins and ends. After three months, you should begin to see a pattern which can help to identify migraine triggers and to avoid them.
Diary-keeping coupled with careful observation also can help identify tension headache triggers. For example, you may find that it is not typing that causes your headache but the way you sit or slouch over the typewriter. Or it could be due to inadequate lighting. Identifying and avoiding headache triggers has brought relief to many.
Here is a brief rundown of the principal categories of headache triggers.
Physical and environmental triggers. Smog-containing sulphur dioxide, commonly emitted from refineries, steel and paper mills or fertilizer plants, has been scientifically confirmed as a common migraine trigger. Fumes and odors from soap, detergent, perfume, after-shave lotion, and household chemicals and pesticides, when inhaled in an enclosed room, can set off migraine in some people.
Other common environmental triggers include glaring or flickering lights or bright outdoor sunshine (wear sunglasses and a hat with a brim).
Stale air in offices and rooms, especially if smoke-filled, is a potential headache trigger. Others include: odorless carbon monoxide leaks from car exhausts or heating equipment; rapid decreases in barometric pressure; wearing a swim mask or goggles—this can set off a headache one to two hours later, sudden weather changes, especially onset of a hot, dry wind. Loud, jarring noises keep the body continually stressed, while a constant noise prevents relaxation. Temporary headaches due to high elevation are also common among mountain hikers and climbers. Usually mild, the headaches customarily affect the entire head. Occasionally, an altitude headache is confined to one side, and can become as severe as a migraine. Altitude headaches normally disappear on descending.
Long distance flights, especially from east to west, can trigger migraine in susceptible persons. To help avoid headaches when flying, drink frequent glasses of water, avoid alcohol, eat lightly, sit in an aisle seat so that you can stand up and stretch, and rest upon arrival. OTC painkillers are freely available on most flights.
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