A headache or migraine is always an unwelcome visitor in your life. Some are so bad that they might dismantle your life for days at a time until you experience relief. Whether you suffer from frequent headaches and migraines or just occasional ones, you likely don’t want to experience them if you don’t have to. One way to prevent and avoid migraines and headaches is figuring out what triggers them. Once you figure out their trigger, you can do everything in your power to avoid them. To help you figure out what might trigger your migraines or headaches, read through this list of surprising headache and migraine triggers.

mature woman suffering from a migrain headacheJob and Financial Stress

With a high unemployment rate or a change in work environment due to COVID-19, it’s very common for people to experience job and financial stress right now. Unfortunately, stress is one of the top causes of headaches. Finances and work are typically some of the top causes of stress. If you notice headaches and migraines appear more often when you feel stressed, it’s important to figure out the cause of the stress and find a way to relieve it.

Weather Conditions and Changes

The changing seasons and weather can also trigger headaches and migraines. Scientists in Germany studied headache diaries of 100 people with weather charts. What they found was that weather influenced migraines about 13% of the time. The study also found that people experienced more migraines when the atmosphere pressure either fell or rose. A different study in Taiwan found that more people experienced migraines during cold winter fronts. Pay attention to your headaches and make note if there’s a change in weather that day. If you do figure out that the weather causes your headaches, you can at least anticipate when it will happen and figure out preventive measures to try and reduce the severity.

Dehydration

Working from home might mean that you’re heading over to your coffee pot more often than you should. The more caffeine you consume, the more likely you will experience dehydration or caffeine headaches. If you don’t drink enough water throughout the day it can definitely result in a migraine or headache. These headaches occur because the body requires a certain balance of fluid to electrolytes for proper functioning. You also need to drink more water if you drink alcohol or caffeine to replenish the lost electrolytes. When you don’t drink enough water, the brain will shrink and pull away from the skull which is what causes the pain in your head. After you rehydrate properly, your brain will go back to its usual size.

Computer Overuse

Working overtime might seem harmless and like a good way to impress your boss, but if you’re working in front of a computer screen too long, it can lead to a headache. To prevent computer overuse headaches, consider turning your computer on “Night” mode to limit blue light exposure that tends to irritate your eyes. You can also wear blue light glasses. You should also take short breaks away from the screen every couple of hours. Try to look at objects far in the distance to relax your eyes.

Hair Ties

Although wearing your hair in a ponytail all day is a great way to keep your hair out of your face, it can also lead to headaches. You might feel the pain start at the back of your head or neck and make its way to your forehead. Try taking your ponytail out to see if it relieves the pain. If this is the cause of your headache, the pain should subside within thirty minutes or so. Try to wear your hair ties less tight on your head or consider pinning your hair back or braiding it instead.

Serious Workouts

If you’re working towards a fitness goal, you’re probably putting in a lot of hard work at the gym. However, working too hard can often lead to headaches and migraines. There’s no known reason for what causes these headaches. One theory is that strenuous exercise causes the blood vessels inside the head to dilate. It might also indicate that there’s an underlying problem in your head that causes these headaches. It’s best to talk to your doctor if you experience exercise-induced headaches.

TMJ

Do you wake up with a sore jaw? Do your teeth feel sensitive when you consume hot or cold drinks and foods? TMJ might be the cause of your headaches and migraines. TMJ is a condition that affects the jaw joints. When your jaw joints aren’t balanced or not working properly, it can result in serious jaw, neck, and back pain, and frequent headaches and migraines.

November is TMJ Awareness month and we want to help more people find the pain relief they deserve through TMJ treatment. To find out if you suffer from this common condition, schedule an appointment with one of our TMJ dentists for an evaluation. If they discover you do have TMJ, they will provide you with a headache treatment plan that will help reduce your pain symptoms and help you experience fewer headaches and migraines.

Schedule an appointment with our Rochester TMJ dentists today by calling (585) 244-3337.