What Triggers Your Headache?
There are many things that can contribute to headaches. Some of the main factors are things that increase the levels of blood fat. These are things that a person generally has control of and can change if they choose to.
One of the biggest factors that increases the levels of blood fat is smoking. Smoking provides a host of health problems, and causing headaches is one of them. This is because smoking increases the bad cholesterol (LDL) as well as increasing the viscosity of the blood and platelet clustering. These problems can actually end up increasing the risk of blood clots.
An over abundance of exercise as well as a lack of exercise can increase the levels of fat in the blood. When you do not exercise and you are sedentary your body has a lower metabolism rate which makes it difficult for the body to clear fat from the bloodstream. In addition, the opposite of a sedentary lifestyle can have profound affects on the body which cause headaches. When you over exercise your body you go into a temporary state of hypoglycemia. This ends up depleting your body's sugar reserves. When this occurs your body is forced to increase the level of fat in the blood so your body's muscles and tissues can get the necessary energy to keep them running.
Another factor that can trigger headaches is high levels of stress. When you are under a lot of stress your body's chemicals become imbalanced. Then your body will try to balance out these chemicals which cause more fat to be released into the blood. Some of the main causes of stress that can cause people headaches are overwhelming amounts of work, relationship problems and financial worries. There are also environmental and physical pressures on the body that can cause the body to be put under stress. These include physical injury, pollution, a lack of oxygen to the brain, hypothermia and hyperthermia.
When the body is put under physical or environmental stress the body will provide extra fuel to help the body cope with the stressful situation. Psychological triggers force the body to go into the fight or flight mode. The body will add extra fuel to the blood as a precaution for the possible physical activity that must be endured. However, psychological stress is rarely relieved by fight or flight, so the increased fat that was added into the bloodstream stays there.
One last trigger that can add to increased headaches is the use of oral contraceptives, especially those that have high levels of estrogen. A constant fluctuation of estrogen in the body increases the amount of fat that is released into the bloodstream.
All of these triggers that are listed here are major culprits in headaches that people experience. Some of them can be controlled and others are less manageable. However, it is important to be aware of what is causing your headaches so you can learn how to deal with your own personal triggers.
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