Dealing with another migraine? Wondering what caused it this time and what you avoid to prevent the next one? The average individual would be quick to attribute his/her migraine to stress or lack of sleep. But the triggers could be something you never expected.
Your hair accessories can be responsible for your migraine
A smashing ponytail hairdo doesn’t stop at just fetching you a bunch of Instagram likes; it can still fetch you a migraine. Well, the blacklist isn’t just exclusive to ponytails; tight braids, headbands, or hats that fit your head tightly can introduce substantial strain to your scalp connective tissue.
The end product is a nagging headache. This condition is generally termed the cutaneous allodynia. This is pain emerging from a non-painful stimulus to your scalp. This pain can be triggered just when you brush your hair, shower, or even ear earrings.
Should you remove your ponytails, the compression headache would typically disappear within 60 minutes. If such a headache persists, you can resort to OTC pain relievers like ibuprofen.
Strong scents can trigger migraine
Migraine experience is commonly associated with osmophobia. The latter is a condition where there is significantly reduced tolerance (or amplified sensitivity) to odors.
In these situations, these unique odors can trigger a migraine attack. Some of the most prevalent migraine-inducing scents include chemical fumes like gasoline, car exhaust, cigarette, pesticide, or nail polish.
There is yet to be a definitive scientific explanation for the relatively decreased tolerance to odors in particular individuals. In most cases, such odor-induced migraine is closely followed by a nauseous sensation in the individual.
Reducing the frequency of this migraine attack variant is essentially decreasing your exposure to such odors. Self-awareness can be beneficial here in identifying the specific scents that trigger your migraine and avoiding them diligently.