Triggers

Many people experience headaches, often due to triggers related to their age, gender, health and overall lifestyle. College students are no different. In fact, these young and seemingly healthy individuals often lead lifestyles that put them at a very high risk for headaches.

Nearly all headaches experienced by college students are tension-type headaches. A tension-type headache causes non-throbbing, frequently bilateral pain.

Both cigarette and cigar smoke contain many headache triggering chemicals. Nicotine, a component of tobacco products, has vascular activities that have been known to trigger headache. Cluster headache sufferers are often greatly affected by smoking.

Pregnancy can take its toll on a woman’s body, but reports show that migraine pain before childbirth is unlikely. According to NHF statistics, approximately 80% of women who have migraine stop having migraine attacks from the end of the third month of pregnancy until delivery because of hormonal stability.

Though 20% of women still suffer from migraine pain during pregnancy, medication use during this time is discouraged due to potential harm to the fetus.

Migraine occurs approximately three times more often in women than in men, and research has determined that menstrual hormone changes are one of many potential triggers. 

Flying Triggers Migraines
Q. When I fly, I usually end up with a migraine. This is not a good way to start a fun, relaxing trip. Is there any way to prevent migraine while flying?