Brain & Nervous System Headaches Causes & Risk Factors Print Common Headache Triggers You Can Avoid By Colleen Doherty, MD Colleen Doherty, MD, is a board-certified internist living with multiple sclerosis. Learn about our editorial process Colleen Doherty, MD Medically reviewed by a board-certified physician Updated on January 05, 2020 Headaches Overview Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Coping Danita Delimont/Getty Images There are lots of headache triggers — some easier to avoid than others. If you cannot avoid or minimize them, coping is your next best option. Here is a look at 10 common headache triggers in no particular order. Holiday Headaches Certainly, the stress of seeing family, hosting, and all the delicious foods and drinks that go along with holiday celebrations can trigger a headache. But, there is also something called the "let-down hypothesis" that occurs during vacation or periods of relaxation — this means that headaches, particularly migraines, are more likely to occur once there is a decline in stress. The mechanism as to why is unclear but may be due to a decline in the level of the stress hormone cortisol. Fasting Headaches A fasting headache causes a generalized mild to moderate pain at the front of the head. It resolves within 72 hours of consuming food again. People who suffer from headaches are more likely to develop a headache during fasting than individuals who do not typically suffer from headaches. Environment Changes That Induce Headaches Bright lights, certain smells and weather changes — especially storms — may be headache-triggering for some people. Poor Sleep Hygiene and Headaches Sleep problems like sleep deprivation, oversleeping, or a change in your sleep pattern are triggers for acute migraines and tension-type headaches. The Link Between Stress and Headaches Stress can trigger a new headache disorder, worsen an existing headache disorder, or transform episodic into chronic headaches. The mechanism through which stress affects headaches is still a mystery. Likely, stress interacts with various pain processes in both the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. Smoking and Cluster Headaches Smoking may be the biggest trigger associated with cluster headaches. One study in Cephalalgia of 374 sufferers of cluster headaches (CH) found that approximately 79% of episodic CH patients smoked. An even larger percentage (88 percent) of chronic CH patients smoked. Menstruation and Migraines Menstrual-related migraines tend to be longer and more severe when compared to migraine attacks that occur at other times in a women's cycle. Chinese Food Headaches The mechanism through which monosodium glutamate (MSG) causes a headache is likely through a combination of increased blood pressure and dilation of blood vessels in the brain. MSG is commonly used to prepare certain ethnic foods and may also be found in canned or processed foods, especially soups, sauces, broths, and dressings. Common Foods as Headache Triggers Foods other than MSG that are particularly migraine-triggering include: Processed meats and fishAged cheesesChocolateCaffeine A Number of Headaches Associated with Alcohol While alcohol is a common precipitant of migraines and cluster headaches, it can also induce its own headache, known as an alcohol-induced headache. A classic alcohol-induced headache — of which there are two types, a cocktail headache, and a hangover headache — is similar to a tension-type headache in that it is often located on both sides of the head, but has a pulsating quality like that of a migraine." A Word From Verywell Managing headache triggers is hard work. Remember, you cannot avoid all triggers — instead, coping with them is a more reasonable goal. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Baad-Hansen L, Cairns B, Ernberg M, & Svensson P. Effect of systemic monosodium glutamate (MSG) on headache and pericranial muscle sensitivity. Cephalalgia. 2010 Jan;30(1):68-76. Bordeaux B, & Lieberman HR. Benefits and risks of caffeine and caffeinated beverages. In:UpToDate, Basow DS(Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA, 2014. Bulchholz David. Heal Your Headache: The 1-2-3 Program For Taking Charge of Your Pain. New York: Workman Publishing, 2002. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society. "The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 3rd Edition (beta version)". Cephalalgia 2013;33(9):629-808. Lipton RB, Buse DC, Hall CB, Tennen H, Defreitas TA, & Borkowski TM et al. Reduction in perceived stress as a migraine trigger: testing the "let-down headache" hypothesis. Neurology. 2014 Apr 22;82(16):1395-401.