MigraineMessenger.com
  • Migraine Messenger
  • Blog
  • Migraine Plan
  • Migraine Meds
  • Migraine Meals
  • Privacy Policy and Disclaimer
  • Index

Migraine Messenger
Blog

...A blog about living a life migraine-free

email me: migrainemessenger@gmail.com

see my Migraine Plan

Stop and Smell the Hydrangeas

3/4/2013

2 Comments

 
My flight with the overly perfumed passenger last week got me thinking about specific odors that are migraine triggers for me.  Do floral scents trigger migraines for you?  I can vividly recall a beautiful floral bouquet being sent to my hospital room after just having a child.  It didn't take long until I could no longer stand the odor of the bouquet.  I reached out to my sister for help and had her relocate the flowers to a different hospital department.  Hopefully, they were fully appreciated in their new home.  I love the way fresh flowers look, I just prefer not to smell most of them.  Is there a way to enjoy their beauty without suffering from their floral scents?  There may be hope.   I have found that sticking to my Migraine Plan has decreased my sensitivity to certain things, one of which is odors.  That being said, certain floral scents still seem a bit risky to me and it may be that I still haven't recovered from the memory of my postpartum bouquet (or last weeks plane ride).

Do you ever wonder why a floral scent triggers migraines?  Here is my conclusion after some research.  The scent of a flower is a chemical that is produced in order for the flower to survive.  The flower can actually change the chemical it emits in order to either attract pollinaters or repel predators.  The odor is a chemical messenger that is dissolved in the air.  We unsuspecting migrainuers inhale it and it interacts with receptors in our bodies that transmit it through the nose and olfactory bulb and then on to the limbic system (part of the brain).  The limbic system is tied directly to the pituitary and hypothalamus glands which control hormones that affect heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance.  The hypothalamus produces growth hormone, sex hormones, thyroid hormone, and serotonin.  The fluctuation or change in hormones is well established as a trigger for many a migrainuer.  Our weary heads are triggered by the changes created by sniffing our flowering friends (or fellow airplane passengers).

What can we migrainuers do about floral scents?  When we have the opportunity we can let our loved ones know about our sensitive snouts.  When we get the stinky bouquet it may be an opportunity to educate our  friends about what flowers we can tolerate.   There are a number of flowers that give off barely any scent at all.  The following flowers I can enjoy without triggering a headache:

Tulips
Anemones
Poppies
Ranunculus
Calla Lilies
Amaryllis
Protea
Hydrangeas
Orchids

Picture
2 Comments
arizer extreme q vaporizer link
5/26/2013 08:07:26 pm

Each pleasant fragrance is good for our health.

Reply
soy tarts link
6/27/2013 01:59:35 am

The perfect way to fill their home pleasant scent.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Maren

    A recovering chronic migraineur attempting to globally eliminate headaches via a website and possibly, one blog post at a time.

    contact me: migrainemessenger@gmail.com

    Index for blog

    I have attempted to make searching my blog easier by creating an index page.
    click here to go to index page.

    Archives

    July 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All
    Exercise And Sport
    Food And Diet
    Medical
    Other
    Stress Relief
    Travel
    Weather

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.