| " I have had migraines for about 20 years. They are caused more from hormones than anything else, although fragrances and chemicals are also a major trigger. I am 50 and going through menopause, and my doctor has assured me that I should see improvement." "Would it help to have allergy tests? My doctor told me that I am not allergic but sensitive to certain things, so allergy tests might not help. What can you recommend?" " You are not alone in your pain -- almost 50 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. Migraines are throbbing, painful headaches that can be associated with nausea, neurological symptoms and drowsiness. Many things can trigger migraines, including stress, hormonal fluctuations, change in sleep pattern, allergies, certain dyes, caffeine, chemicals and fragrances, bright lights, and certain foods and beverages." "The first thing we encourage our migraine patients to do is to learn what triggers their headaches by keeping a headache diary. Then, of course, it makes sense to minimize your individual triggers." "If your headaches are purely hormonal, it may be challenging to reduce headache frequency. Some pre-menopausal women may find relief through oral contraceptives that are taken daily for up to 12 weeks at a time to keep hormone levels steady. This can help reduce the headache that comes on with the sudden drop in estrogen and progesterone right before your period. And for some women, migraines get worse with any type of hormones, so you have to talk to your doctor. You are also correct that many women with menstrual migraines do get better after menopause." "Although certain foods may trigger migraines for some people, true food allergies, such as peanut allergy, have not been found to contribute to migraines. However, your food intake pattern may make a difference. The majority of migraines occur after people have not eaten for at least five hours. This may explain why migraines often occur in the early morning. People who suffer from migraines, and who fast for religious or other reasons, are at higher risk of getting a headache during or after their fast." "The brain depends on glucose for its energy, and a drop in blood sugar during fasting may trigger a headache. Migraine sufferers also may be more sensitive to the effects of insulin release in the blood." "• Avoid refined carbohydrates. They cause a rapid rise in your blood sugar, which then triggers insulin release, which then plunges your blood sugar, which may trigger a headache." "• Your brain uses about 10-15 grams of carbs
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