Andy Montoya
Headaches can be caused by a variety of factors, including food, stress, menstruation, sleep habits, and even the weather. While the exact causes of headaches are not fully understood, certain triggers such as tyramine-rich foods are believed to contribute to migraine attacks. Tyramine is found in aged cheeses, and avoiding these cheeses may help prevent headaches. However, it is important to note that recent research suggests true food triggers are uncommon, and a balanced, healthy diet and hydration are more crucial in managing headaches.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Prevention | Eat a variety of healthy foods, stay hydrated, and avoid food triggers like aged cheese, chocolate, alcohol, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) |
| Treatment | Drink ginger tea, peppermint tea, or inhale peppermint oil or steam |
| Other Tips | Avoid bright lights and glare, wear sunglasses, and adjust your computer monitor or attach a glare screen |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Identify tyramine triggers
Tyramine is a natural compound found in many foods, and it is a well-accepted migraine trigger. It is produced during the aging or fermentation process, when microbes convert the amino acid tyrosine into tyramine. The longer a food takes to process, the higher the tyramine levels.
If you are sensitive to tyramine, you should be cautious of the following foods:
- Aged cheeses, such as cheddar, Stilton, Camembert, Swiss, feta, Muenster, and Parmesan
- Meat, poultry, and fish, such as dry sausages, salami, pickled or smoked fish, caviar, aged chicken livers, soups or gravies made from meat extract
- Fermented soy products, such as tofu, miso, and soy sauce
- Alcoholic beverages, such as beer, Chianti, sherry, burgundy, vermouth, ale, and liqueurs
- Citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and tangerines
- Tropical fruits, such as ripe bananas, pineapple, and avocado
It is important to note that triggers vary from person to person, and not all dietary triggers contribute to headaches in all patients. To identify your specific tyramine triggers, it is recommended to keep a headache diary for several months. Record your diet, possible triggers, and migraine attacks to help draw connections and identify patterns.
Cheese Toppings: Achieving Radiant Results
You may want to see also
Keep a migraine diary
Keeping a migraine diary can be a useful way to help you identify patterns and triggers for your headaches. It is recommended that you keep a diary for at least two months to get a clear picture of your habits and patterns. Here are some things you can include in your migraine diary:
Date and Time
Record the date and time when the headache starts. This can help you identify any patterns related to the time of day or day of the week.
Severity
You can record the severity of the headache on a scale of mild, moderate, or severe. Alternatively, you can use a numerical scale, such as a scale from 1-10, where 10 is the worst pain imaginable.
Symptoms
Note any other symptoms you experience alongside the headache, such as dizziness, vertigo, sensitivity to light, sound, smells, or any symptoms that affect your movement, such as numbness.
Medication
Keep track of any medication you take for the headache, including the dosage and timing. Also, make note of any side effects you experience from the medication.
Triggers
Record any potential triggers that you suspect may have contributed to the headache. This includes dietary triggers, such as certain foods high in tyramine (e.g., aged cheeses, cured meats, fermented foods, etc.), as well as other triggers such as changes in temperature, strong smells, bright lights, loud noises, changes in sleep patterns, unusual stress, or menstruation. Remember that headaches may not occur immediately after exposure to a trigger and can sometimes take up to 24 hours to develop.
Other Notes
Include any other information that you think may be relevant, such as your activities leading up to the headache, your emotional state, or any changes in your routine.
Golden Cheese Cookie: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Yours
You may want to see also
Eat magnesium-rich foods
Cheese, particularly aged cheese, is often cited as a trigger for migraine attacks and headaches. This is due to the presence of tyramine, a compound that occurs naturally in some foods, particularly aged, cured, fermented, and leftover foods. If you're prone to headaches after eating cheese, it may be worth avoiding aged cheeses such as Cheddar, Stilton, blue cheese, Camembert, Swiss, feta, Muenster, and Parmesan, which are known to be high in tyramine.
To prevent or relieve a headache caused by cheese, eating magnesium-rich foods can be helpful. Magnesium deficiency is one of the most common nutritional causes of persistent or cluster headaches. By incorporating ample amounts of magnesium-rich foods into your daily diet, you can effectively ward off these headaches.
So, what foods are rich in magnesium? Well, for starters, there are flaxseeds, sprouted pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds. Pumpkin seeds also offer the added benefit of being high in fibre, which can prevent constipation that sometimes accompanies migraines. Cashews are another excellent source of magnesium, providing a tasty and crunchy option to boost your magnesium intake.
Bananas are another magnesium-rich food that can be a quick and easy snack to stave off a migraine attack or a headache. Not only are bananas high in magnesium, but they also provide hydration benefits, as they are about 74% water. So, if you're feeling a headache coming on, reach for a banana to help get some relief.
Get Cotija Cheese at These Places
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Avoid strong smells
Strong smells can be a common trigger for headaches. If you are susceptible to headaches brought on by certain smells, it is important to take steps to avoid them. Household cleaners, perfumes, and fragranced air fresheners are common culprits. Opt for fragrance-free alternatives, and keep your living space well-ventilated by opening doors and windows. If a colleague's perfume is bothering you, a fan on your desk can help.
It is also important to be mindful of other triggers that may be causing your headaches. For example, bright lights and glare can induce migraines, so wearing sunglasses and using polarised lenses can help reduce light intensity and glare, respectively. Fluorescent lighting tends to flicker, so substituting it with another form of lighting may be beneficial.
Additionally, consider your phone habits. If you spend a lot of time on the phone, a special headset may be useful. Holding a handset between your head and shoulder can strain muscles and lead to headaches.
Another potential trigger is teeth grinding, or bruxism. If this is an issue, your dentist may recommend a mouth guard or splint to wear at night to protect your teeth and reduce headaches.
It is worth noting that headaches can have various triggers, and it is important to identify your specific triggers to effectively manage them. Keeping a headache diary can help you track patterns and determine the triggers that affect you.
Obtaining Government Cheese: A Guide to Eligibility and Access
You may want to see also
Wear sunglasses
Sunglasses are a great way to reduce the intensity of light, which can be a significant factor in triggering headaches. Bright and flickering lights boost the levels of certain chemicals in the brain, activating the migraine centre.
Wearing sunglasses can be an effective way to prevent and manage headaches. They can be worn both indoors and outdoors, and polarised lenses are particularly beneficial in reducing glare. This is especially useful if you are exposed to fluorescent lighting, as this type of lighting tends to flicker and cause headaches.
If you work in an office or a brightly lit environment, consider taking control of your immediate surroundings. You can adjust your computer monitor or attach a glare screen to reduce the light intensity in your field of vision. Additionally, turning off certain lights or moving to a different seat in the office can help minimise the impact of bright lights.
It is worth noting that other factors related to light exposure can also contribute to headaches. For example, if you spend a lot of time on the phone, consider using a special headset. Holding a handset between your head and shoulder can strain muscles and lead to headaches.
By incorporating sunglasses into your daily routine and making a few adjustments to your environment, you can effectively reduce the impact of bright lights and glare, potentially preventing and alleviating headaches.
Mac and Cheese Mess: Removing Stains from Clothes
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Cheese headaches are often caused by tyramine, a compound that occurs naturally in aged and cured cheeses. To get rid of a cheese headache, try eating magnesium-rich foods like bananas, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, or chia seeds. You can also try drinking tea or peppermint oil steam inhalation.
To prevent cheese headaches, it is recommended to keep a headache diary to identify any dietary triggers. If cheese is a trigger for you, try opting for lower-tyramine cheeses like American cheese, cottage cheese, or cream cheese.
Aside from cheese, other dietary triggers of headaches include chocolate, alcohol, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and artificial sweeteners. Non-dietary triggers include bright lights, strong smells, and stress.
