Migraines are more than just painful headaches. In fact, about 1 in 5 women and 1 and 15 men experience this painful neurological condition. Migraines can last anywhere from 4 hours to a couple of days. They can be completely debilitating at times, not allowing you to get out of bed. There are several tell-tale signs of an oncoming migraine that include visual cues like a blind spot. These are typically referred to as an “aura” and occur about 30 minutes before the migraine.

One of the best ways to prevent a migraine is to avoid known triggers, such as scented candles. Here are some candle scents that are common triggers for migraines:

1. Rose

Although many people love the smell of roses, those who are prone to migraines should stay away. Roses can cause migraines because the scent can be subtle at times, which causes people to think it’s okay to inhale a lot of it. Many times with rose candles, you put your nose right up to it and take in a deep breath.

2. Tobacco scented candles

The smell of tobacco is basically the opposite of the rose scent. Tobacco is a very overpowering scent that will surely reach your pain receptors fast. Tobacco can remind a lot of people of cigarettes yet it’s often featured as a note in more masculine candle scents. This is important because when smoking cigarettes. It is possible that tobacco smells have a direct connection to headaches in many people.

3. Patchouli

People usually love or hate patchouli, those who dislike it often claim a musty, earthy smell. It does in fact smell like dirt and the outdoors. Clothing is sometimes scented with patchouli to keep moths away. If the light smell on clothes can make moths stay away then it makes sense that burning a candle can cause you headaches.

4. Sandalwood

sandalwood is used in a lot of perfumes and colognes. It is an extremely strong scent with rich accents. Although this is typically a nice smell, it is too strong for those prone to headaches. When you are someone that gets migraines, your olfactory senses are more sensitive, and sandalwood is surely strong enough to upset them.

5. Vanilla

Everyone has surely smelt vanilla before, it is a common smell in the kitchen, particularly used in baking. Not only does the smell of vanilla cause headaches, but vanilla itself can also cause headaches. Some people get irritated with strong sweets and vanilla is just that, it is very potent and rich with sweetness. So when you smell vanilla, the smell of that sweetness is often enough to trigger a response.

People who experience migraines have increased activation of pain and smell receptors in their brains. For this reason, it is advisable to keep strong scents to a minimum. The scents listed above in particular pose a big threat to many.