I had my first one when I was a senior in high school. I had to go home early from school, trap myself in my room, turn off all the lights, and sleep for what seemed like forever until it finally faded away. This was the first time I got a really bad migraine but before I knew it I was getting them all the time. Eventually I went to the doctor to try and get my headaches under control and while I was there I learned a lot about migraines. I learned that people between the ages of 10 – 40 were most at risk for chronic migraines, that women were three times more likely than men to get migraines, and that there were a variety of prescription medications that could control chronic migraines. Now two years and three different prescriptions later, I finally have a medicine that helps and my migraines are under control. Sometimes though, like earlier today, I get one and it makes me wonder; are there things besides taking my medicine every day that can help me avoid migraines completely? Surprisingly there are.

Did you know that your diet can completely affect you getting a migraine? Certain foods, mostly the things inside have them, have been linked to triggering migraines and thus should be avoided if you get migraines as frequently as I do. By reading this article I found that one major thing found in food that can also help trigger migraines is MSG. MSG has had some controversy in the food safety world but is declared to be safe by the Food and Drug administration (FDA). MSG can be found in any food that is pickled and is commonly added in Chinese food as a flavor enhancer. High doses of caffeine (which can be found in chocolate, coffee and energy drinks) are also a bad thing when it comes to trying to prevent migraines. Too much caffeine can give you a migraine but it can also cause a chemical tolerance to it in your body so that when you try to stop/lower your intake of caffeine your body goes through a sort of withdrawal and as a side effect can give you a migraine. Another danger food for migraines are diet sodas or snack foods which contain artificial sugar aspartame, which has also been linked to causing headaches and migraines. Finally, we all know that skipping meals isn’t healthy but it also isn’t good for you if you a trying not to get a migraine. Skipping meals can trigger a dip in your blood sugar that can also lead to a migraine.

So if you are like me and migraines are something you have to worry about getting start watching what you eat. Changing up your diet might actually keep the annoying migraines away longer!