Migraines are painful, pulsating headaches that can interfere with everyday activities. They last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. Migraines may occur infrequently or as often as a few a month. The symptoms of migraines include a throbbing or pulsing pain on one or both sides of the head, light and sound sensitivity, and nausea and vomiting.

Migraines are triggered by stress, loud sounds, certain medicines, weather, hormonal changes, and particular foods. Once you know what your triggers are for a migraine, you can take steps to avoid them. While you cannot control the weather or hormonal changes, you can avoid foods that trigger migraines. Here is a list of foods that can cause migraine headaches:

1. Nitrates
For some of us, summer isn’t summer without the hot dogs on the grill. To avoid discomfort later, you might want to select uncured meat instead. Nitrates are added to cured meats, such as hot dogs, lunch meat, and bacon, to make the food last longer and preserve the color. In your body, they dilate blood vessels in the brain, resulting in a headache. If you must enjoy that grilled hot dog or a ham and cheese sandwich, skip the nitrates by selecting a hot dog or lunch meat that is not cured

2. Dairy products
Dairy products are migraine triggers. Casein, a phosphoproteins group, is found in milk, sour cream, cheese, and other dairy products. Casein is known to cause migraines for some people. Aged cheese, while delicious, is another food that is best avoided by migraine sufferers. As cheese ages, the proteins break down, and tyramine is produced. Tyramine is believed to cause headaches and migraines

3. Wheat
Many products that we enjoy every day contain wheat. Bread, pizza, and soft pretzels are staples. It’s challenging to avoid them, especially when you enjoy eating them. The gluten in wheat is responsible for adverse reactions. If you’re allergic to gluten, there are many gluten-free food options. Also, wheat crops are frequently sprayed with pesticides to which some people are especially sensitive. Another option is to skip products made from wheat

4. Citrus fruits
A glass of orange or grapefruit juice with your breakfast can be a problem later on. Citrus fruits contain tyramine, a migraine trigger. The good news is t freshly-squeezed juice contains far less of the substances that trigger migraines. Just-squeezed juice tastes the best and has the most nutrients. Orange and other citrus juices develop substances over time that may result in migraines. You will also get less vitamin C since the vitamin breaks down over time.

5. Alcohol
Alcohol is a reported trigger of migraine headaches. Most of us are aware that drinking alcoholic beverages cause dehydration, and dehydration produces headaches. For migraine sufferers, the histamines in the drink can initiate a migraine. Even a sip or two of wine can trigger a headache in sensitive people. Wine has sulfites and more histamines than other alcohols. While red wine has been touted as a drink full of antioxidants, you might want to substitute a non-alcoholic cocktail to avoid headaches