Migraine symptoms are accompanied by severe and pulsing pain, generally on one side of the head. Migraines may be accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light, vomiting, and sound. Attacks often last for hours to days, and migraines do interfere with daily life. Warning symptoms for migraines can include visual disturbances, tingling on one side of your face, or difficulty speaking.

Migraines may progress in four stages, prodrome aura, attack, and post-drome. Sensitivity to smell is one of the main causes of migraines and is called osmophobia. Almost 95% of migraine sufferers have attacks triggered by different smells. Different scents that can trigger migraines include:

1. Cigarette smoke
Smoking and secondhand smoke are migraine triggers. Why? Nicotine in cigarette smoke is considered a vasoactive substance. Vasoactive substances can increase or decrease blood pressure and heart rate through vascular activity. The changes in blood vessel size in the brain and blood vessels shrinking cause migraines.

2. Food odors
Osmophobia or increased intolerance to smells often precedes a migraine. Strong food odors like burning foods, cooking broccoli, salami, or certain cheeses can cause migraines. Some migraine sufferers report that cured, fermented, and pickled food containing the amino acid tyramine also causes migraines. The aversion to smells could be caused by a small olfactory bulb or the brain’s smell receptor that processes smells.

3. Cleaning chemicals
Some cleaning products release dangerous organic compounds, including volatile organic compounds. Avoid these types of cleaning products, including oven and household cleaners, bleach, and disinfecting solutions. Rug and upholstery cleaning solutions should be avoided. VOCs irritate mucous membranes, cause blood vessels to dilate and swell, and stimulate brain areas relating to the nervous system.

4. Candles
Candles emit formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, alcohol, limonene, and esters. These are chemicals causing migraines, allergy symptoms, and respiratory tract infections. Mass-produced scented candles also have an impact on indoor air quality. The wick, wax, and fragrance in candles release harmful chemicals into the air – even when the candle is unlit.

5. Perfumes
Perfumes can cause blood vessels to dilate and swell. Perfumes also stimulate nerves in the brain associated with migraines. Migraines caused by perfume smell is due to increased scent and pain activation receptors in your brain. About 50% of migraine sufferers state that strong perfume smells trigger their migraine attacks. A study in Brazil revealed that strong perfume smells often trigger migraines for men. Note that perfume is not only made from botanical ingredients but also crude oil and turpentine oil.

6. Air fresheners
Air fresheners release phthalates where they are inhaled or absorbed through the skin. The chemicals in air fresheners enter your bloodstream and alter hormone levels and cause migraines, cancer, and reproductive problems. You can read the labels of air fresheners, but phthalates are considered “hidden” ingredients. Fortunately, today’s air fresheners’ manufacturers realize the danger of phthalates and reduce this ingredient in their products.

Be aware that other triggers for migraines include stress that triggers almost 70% of those with migraines. Avoid changes in your sleep schedule and watch for weather changes in barometric pressure that often cause migraines. Avoid caffeine and alcohol if you can. When you feel your migraine triggers coming on, take your medication without delay.