If you’ve ever had a migraine, you know it’s not just a headache; it’s a full-body experience.

The pain can be deep and pulsating, often lasting for days and accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light, and even visual disturbances. Research shows that migraines occur when certain triggers set off nerve signals, which then prompt immune cells to release inflammatory compounds. In people who get migraines, this activates an immune response, leading to the release of histamine from these cells. In turn, blood vessels dilate, causing migraine and headache symptoms.

In migraine sufferers, this chain reaction can spread widely, changing brain chemistry, balance and blood flow. That’s why migraine attacks often leave you completely drained, forcing you to retreat to a dark, quiet room until your brain recovers its balance.

Several factors can affect how often and how severe chronic migraines become. What follows are the five common triggers and how targeted supplements and lifestyle changes may help.

Trigger 1: Your Brain Runs Low on Fuel

For migraine sufferers, keeping your brain’s energy supply steady can potentially limit the chronic nature of migraine attacks. Stable levels of two key energy nutrients, glucose and oxygen, may help limit the impact of migraines.

Glucose is your body’s main source of fuel, and how steadily it’s supplied depends on your diet and how well your body processes it. Sudden spikes and crashes in blood sugar, or reduced sensitivity to insulin (insulin resistance), can cause your brain’s energy levels to drop, which is linked to migraines.

Oxygen is just as important, though we rarely think about it. Low oxygen levels can develop slowly and go unnoticed, and may trigger migraines. This can happen at high altitudes, with changes in air humidity, or when oxygen delivery is reduced, for example, from low iron (needed to carry oxygen in red blood cells) or certain thyroid issues, both of which can slow oxygen uptake and transport.

This means that keeping the brain’s energy supply steady and fixing any problems that affect it may help address underlying factors that contribute to chronic migraines.

Solution: Support Brain Energy:

Eat a balanced diet with fibre-rich carbs, healthy fats, and protein to keep blood sugar steady.
Tackle factors that disrupt the balance of glucose and insulin, such as high cortisol from unmanaged stress or poor sleep.
Book in for a consultation to check if you need support for issues like insulin resistance, low iron, or thyroid problems.

A combination of the above events can lead to the ‘perfect storm’, or the ‘final straw’ for a migraine to take place.

Trigger 2: Sensitive Immune Cells That Kick-Start Migraines

Your brain has special immune cells called glial cells, and they are major drivers in migraines. When pain hits hard or keeps coming back, glial cells can overreact, triggering inflammation that sparks a migraine. Our body’s naturally produce palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) to combat pain and inflammation by calming our glial cells.

Solution: Curb Your Pain-Sensitive Immune Cells

Discuss with me how we can supplement PEA to enhance your body’s response to pain.

Trigger 3: Hormonal Fluctuations and Migraines Related to Your Menstrual Cycle

Migraines affect women two to three times more than men. In Australia, 1 in 3 women get migraines and many women might have undiagnosed symptoms. Hormonal fluctuations, particularly those linked to women’s reproductive hormones, are a key factor influencing migraine frequency.

Oestrogen can increase activity in the trigeminal nerve, the main nerve that carries pain signals from the face and head, while progesterone helps calm down pain signals.

During perimenopause, oestrogen levels swing significantly and progesterone drops, making migraine episodes more frequent and intense.

Solution: Explore And Optimise Hormonal Balance

Track your cycle and book an appointment to understand your unique hormonal patterns and how they might relate to symptoms.
Try adding soy-based foods to your diet, which can gently support oestrogen receptors and help smooth out hormone fluctuations if they’re causing issues.
One study found that a soy supplement that was equivalent to eating half a cup of edamame daily for eight weeks reduced migraine duration by around three hours and improved quality of life for women in their 30s.

Trigger 4: Stress and Sleep Disruption, and Migraines

Stress and poor sleep ignite migraine flare-ups by activating inflammation in the brain. Stress activates your body’s stress response, increasing hormones like cortisol and lowering calming neurotransmitters like GABA, which makes pain feel more intense. Poor sleep then disrupts melatonin production, which further increases pain sensitivity.

Low melatonin is a key link between stress, sleep issues, and migraines. Since melatonin peaks after 11 pm during deep sleep, missing out on this cycle makes migraines even more likely.

Solutions: Stress Management and Sleep Support

Support your sleep routine with calming habits and medicines.
Avoid caffeine late in the day and avoid daytime naps.
Follow sleep hygiene techniques discussed in earlier blogs

Trigger 5. Diet, Histamine Sensitivity, and Nutrient Support for Migraines

Certain foods can contribute to migraines. High-histamine foods, such as aged cheese, chocolate, citrus, and alcohol, can trigger inflammation in the brain. Additives, preservatives, and nitrates are also common culprits. At the same time, nutrient deficiencies can make your brain more prone to migraines. Omega-3 fatty acids act like the brain’s “peacekeepers,” helping to calm inflammation, support blood vessels, and regulate the nervous system.

In 40 clinical trials, high-dose EPA/DHA reduced migraine frequency and severity more effectively than many medications.

Solutions: Track and Manage Diet Triggers and Supplement Omega 3

Use a migraine tracker app like Migraine Buddy or keep a headache diary to identify food-related patterns and other triggers.
Work with me to create a personalised nutrition plan that addresses diet and nutrient needs as well as medicines for migraine prevention and management.

Take Control of Your Migraines: Know Your Triggers, Calm Your Brain

Migraines aren’t just headaches; they can ruin your whole day or week. However, if you keep your brain fuelled, calm your overactive immune cells, balance your hormones, manage your stress and sleep, and make dietary adjustments you can make your symptoms more manageable. Consult me to find your triggers and tackle the root causes so you can help prevent migraines as much as possible before they get a chance to attack.