Migraine

What is it?

Some causes of benign headaches:

• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Too little or too much sleep
• Stress or release from stress
• Not eating regular meals or skipping meals
• Alcohol consumption
• Exposure to bright lights, loud noises, strong odours and cigarette smoke
• Sudden changes in temperature
• Medication side-effects
• Menstruation
• Foods containing tyramine, nitrites or monosodium glutamate (MSG), such as aged cheese and red wine (tyramine), bacon and processed meats (nitrites) and packet soups (MSG)
• Chocolate, peanuts and dairy products
• Aspartame
• Caffeine or caffeine withdrawal
• Dental pain
• Minor illness such as a cold or flu
• Head and/or neck injuries
• Allergies and/or allergic reactions
• Sinus infection (sinusitis)
• A hangover
• Substance or medication abuse

Causes of secondary headaches:

• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Brain tumour
• Aneurysm (a dilated blood vessel in the brain)
• Bleeding into the brain (intracranial hemorrhage)
• Encephalitis (brain infection)
• Meningitis (inflammation and swelling of the meninges)