Headaches and Your Hormones
Hey everybody!
Thanks for checking in with me again today.
Headaches happen to everyone but there are SO MANY different causes .
Today it occurred to me that headaches in women can sometimes rally around the menstrual periods and to consider why that may happen.
Here's an interesting statement from NHS Choices:
"Most headaches in women are caused by hormones. At least 5 million women experience hormone headaches each month, say researchers."
When treating a woman who has been suffering from headaches, its good to explore their periods, type, absence etc as the cause of the headache may be associated with their menstrual pattern.
Observations of women who suffer with headaches associated with their menstrual pattern (Hormone Headaches) indicate the following:
50% of women who suffer from Migraines say that there is a link between the headaches and their periods
Migraine is likely to develop in the first 2 days before a period starts or during the first 3 days of the period.
The combined contraceptive pill has an effect on headaches. In some women, it is reported to improve the headache; however other women experience more frequent attaches of headaches - especially in the pill free week (which is when the Oestrogen levels drop).
Women who suffer with Migraines say it tends to get worse as they approach the Menopause. Again this is because of dropping levels of Oestrogen - AND - the erratic hormone pattern that happens as menopause approaches.
When a woman is pregnant, she can experience headaches that are particularly bad in the first few weeks that are most likely as a result of the hormone changes (and possibly worse if she is not taking sufficient water).
All this is not to say that women cannot or do not suffer from other causes of Headaches such as: tension headache, cluster headache or chronic daily headaches or the other secondary causes of headaches.
I just believe its important for women to appreciate the fact that the hormones can have an impact on Migraines or other types of headache they may suffer.
In terms of treatment of women's Hormone headaches, what options are there?
Self help tips to combat or minimise the severity of headaches include:
Eating regularly to keep the sugar levels steady
There are some specific treatments that may help : HRT in menopausal ladies, continuous pills in women who can use these or antimigraine medications etc.
The topic is not exhaustive. I hope the brief information relayed here may be useful to you; but please feel free to contact us directly here if you need any more advise specific to your needs.
I'm always happy to hear comments so please drop a line below, and I look forward to seeing you again at our next chat.
Stay Well.
*References : http://www.nhs.uk/pages/home.aspx
Editing by AskAwayHealth Team Disclaimer All AskAwayHealth articles are written by practising Medical Practitioners on a wide range of health care conditions to provide evidence based guidance and to help promote quality health care. The advice in our material is not meant to replace management of your specific condition by a qualified health care practitioner. To discuss your condition, please contact a health practitioner or reach us directly through info@askawayhealth.org
