The phrase you are what you eat springs to mind when considering the connection between headaches and food. Affecting millions of Americans each year, headaches are one of the top health complaints in the nation. These pains, which can radiate throughout the face and neck, result from a number of potential causes. Your diet, however, is one important factor to think about if you're suffering from headaches on a regular basis.
Types of Headaches
Several types of headaches exist; if food is causing your suffering, you're likely experiencing a tension headache or a migraine. Typically spreading from the back of the head to the front, tension headaches can feel as if you're head is being squeezed on both sides. The jaw, neck and shoulders may be affected. Migraines are severe headaches that can last for days and affect your ability to function. In addition to the considerable pain, migraines can cause nausea, vomiting, fatigue and numbness in parts of the body. Your vision may be affected; your tolerance for light and noise is often impaired as well.
Food Intolerance
Having an intolerance means your body is unable to handle consumption of substances -- natural or artificial -- in certain foods. Such substances include color additives, lactose and MSG. Food intolerance usually does not involve the immune system, unlike food allergies; however, the symptoms of this reaction to certain substances can cause significant discomfort. In addition to a number of effects related to GI distress, such as an upset stomach, intolerance can cause both headaches and migraines.
Common Trigger Foods
Certain foods are more likely to cause tension or migraine headaches. If you're lactose intolerant, for example, dairy foods may trigger symptoms. Other foods to watch out for include nuts, chocolate, processed meats, citrus fruits, eggplant, onions and fatty foods, according to the University of Oregon Health Center. Both caffeinated and alcoholic beverages can trigger headaches as well. It can be difficult to pinpoint what substances are causing your symptoms, but keeping a record of your food intake and headache incidence can help you identify associations.
Headache Diet
An amino acid called tyramine is also a trigger, particularly for tension headaches. Fresh foods do not contain the substance; it develops naturally during the fermenting or aging process for certain foods, such as smoked fish. The National Headache Foundation supports following a low tyramine diet for prevention if these types of foods are the culprit behind your headaches. It calls for limiting or eliminating foods such as aged cheeses, cured meats, fermented soy products, nuts and certain vegetables such as olives and pickles. If you're considering drastically changing your diet, talk with your doctor before getting started.
Skipping Meals
Just as food can cause headaches, a lack of it does as well. You may develop low blood sugar as a result of skipping meals. As your body works to compensate for the low glucose level, your arteries narrow, which contributes to headache development. Not getting an adequate amount of fluids from both food and liquids also puts you on the path to dehydration, causing headaches. Steering clear of trigger foods and sticking to a consistent eating schedule can help reduce the frequency of headaches.
References
- Sam Houston State University Counseling Center: Headaches
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Tension Headache
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Migraine Headache
- University of Maryland: Allergies, Intolerance and Sensitivity
- University of Oregon Health Center: Headache Control
- National Headache Foundation: Low Tyramine Headache Diet
