Common triggers headaches- Almost everyone has suffered a headache at one point or another. Some of those headaches being so severe the victim just wants to curl up and die. While others can be easily eradicated by just taking a couple of aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol).
The good news is that most headaches are easily avoided, or prevented just by recognizing what your personal triggers are.

There are two main causes for headaches. The first, and most common, is tension or stress. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about here. Stress occurs on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis for most if not all of us.

The boss wanted that report on his desk yesterday.

One child's crying from a toothache while the other one runs through the house like a renegade tornado the entire time you're on the phone with the bank trying to straighten out the account.

You set the alarm wrong, woke up late, and are stuck in traffic.

The in-laws are coming.

Whatever the cause for the stress, the end result is almost always sure to be a headache that has you reaching for the aspirin or Tylenol and rubbing your temples desperate for relief. Unfortunately, if the stress and/or the headache itself last long enough, it can turn into a nasty migraine.

Migraines are the other common cause of headaches. Or more specifically, the physiological factors that trigger a migraine. Stress raises your blood pressure and that in turn increases blood flow. However, migraines can happen without the victim being stressed out. Anything that causes an increase in the blood flow to the brain can trigger migraines.

These triggers could be anything from hormonal changes or treatments, excessive rigorous physical exercise, exhaustion, underlying or untreated health conditions or even something as simple as barometric pressure changes.

While migraines do occur in men, they are more commonly found happening to women due to the hormonal changes that occur during a woman's lifetime.

Another headache trigger, although not necessarily a common one, might even be found in your daily diet. Certain foods have been known to trigger headaches just because an individual's body may have difficulty breaking down and subsequently absorbing the nutrients and enzymes produced.

The most obvious culprits are junk and fried foods. I know I personally have been known to get headaches from greasy fried chicken, certain brands of chips, some sodas, and even fast foods.

Nevertheless, even healthy items such as certain types of cheese, especially strong or pungent varieties, milk products especially if an allergy is present, nuts, and some types of lunch meat can also have an adverse effect on headaches.

Also, a little known trigger is actually an additive used to preserve many of the foods we buy on a regular basis. Monosodium glutamate has caused many a horrible migraine simply due to the fact that the body isn't really set up to handle it.

If you like Chinese food, look for restaurants that are advertised as "MSG free". If there is no prominent sign saying that particular restaurant is, ask before enjoying their delicacies. A good meal is always better without a headache.

Now that you know some of the triggers, hopefully you can prevent those nasty things called headaches!