7 Common Things That Could Be Triggering Your Headaches

One of the most common medical complaints worldwide are headaches. We all experience mild or severe headaches at some point in our lives. No matter how old are you, or what your medical condition might be, a headache can strike at any time. It’s really important to understand what causes these headaches in order to find the right treatment to relieve that annoying pain.

There are more than 300 different types of headaches, but only about 10% of headaches have a known cause. For most headaches, relaxation techniques and simple lifestyle changes are the best things to do to ease the pain without a trip to the doctor. But, unfortunately, the lesser-known causes of a headache could affect you more than you think.

Read on to discover the unexpected things that could be triggering your headaches!

Pickled, aged, smoked, or marinated foods

Tyramine is a naturally occurring compound that can contribute to your headache pain. The worst part? It can be found in a wide variety of meats, fruits, and vegetables. The highest levels of tyramine are in foods that are aged, marinated, smoked, or pickled—such as sauerkraut, tofu, cheeses, and pickles.

Large amounts of this compound are also found in bananas, avocados, onions, and chocolate. So, it’s simple: the more tyramine-rich foods you eat, the worse the pain is likely be.

“As the proteins in cheese break down over time, the tyramine content goes up,” says Tania Elliott, MD, an allergist and internist and former host of the TV show The Doctors. “You’ll want to be careful with aged cheese like bleu, Gouda, and Parmesan, as well as other foods containing tyramine.”