Everyone at some point in their life has experienced a headache, whether they be relatively minor or extensive. However, unlike headaches a migraine is a more severe and throbbing head pain that is often triggered by one’s senses. Not only do they come with this acute pain, but some symptoms of migraine are vomiting, nausea, and sensitivity to sight, sound, or even smells.

Here are some of the main odor triggers for migraines that you should look out for if you know you are prone to them:

1. Food smells
Strong odors from foods can be an intense trigger for a migraine. One’s diet could also be a significant cause for a migraine. Foods commonly known to trigger migraines are alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, cheese, or any pickled foods that contain an amino acid called tyramine. Smells are one of the main triggers for migraines due to nerve pathways within a person’s nose. People who are overly sensitive to smell may develop migraines, and during a migraine they become even more sensitive to these smells.

2. Cleaning products
Various cleaning products can contain chemicals or toxic odors that will trigger a migraine. These chemicals are called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These are gases that are released from cleaning products such as detergents or solvents. Cleaning products are accompanied by intense smells are no help to anyone who is smell sensitive and prone to migraines.

3. Cigarette smoke
Cigarettes contain nicotine which is a vasoactive substance that changes the sizes of blood vessels in your brain. Depending on your sensitivity to this process can determine whether or not it triggers a migraine for you. Secondhand smoke can also cause this to happen so if you know you are prone to migraines because of this then be wary of cigarette smokers.

4. Alcohol
Since alcohol is a diuretic, this may cause you to have migraines due to increased levels of dehydration as diuretics make you urinate more. Drinking can also increase blood flow to your brain because alcohol relaxes your blood vessels, so if you’re drinking in excess and you are prone to migraines then there is a great chance that you may develop one.

5. Perfume and nail polish
Since smell can be a strong trigger for migraines, really odorous perfumes stand among these main causes. Half of the people who develop migraines report that a smell is what triggered their condition, which is called osmophobia. Similar to perfumes, strong odors that are accompanied with nail polish are known to cause acute migraines. These smells may activate olfactory nerve pathways making people who are prone to migraines more sensitive to these smells.