HORMONAL HEADACHES

 

   Headaches and hormones: What's the connection?

     

 Many factors contribute to headaches for both men and women, including family history and age. Women, however, often notice a relationship between headaches and hormonal changes.

The hormones estrogen and progesterone, which play key roles in regulating the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, can also affect headache-related chemicals in the brain.

Having steady estrogen levels might improve headaches while having estrogen levels that dip or change can make headaches worse.

Though changing hormone levels can influence headache patterns, you're not entirely at the mercy of your hormones. Your doctor can help you treat — or prevent — hormone-related headaches.

                      What are menstrual migraines?

Migraine headaches that hit just before or during your period are a type of hormonal headache called menstrual migraines. You get them because levels of estrogen, as well as progesterone, drop just before your period begins.

                    

 

                   Who Gets Hormonal Headaches?

Hormonal headaches are tied to higher levels of female hormones. Before puberty, boys get more headaches than girls, according to research focused on cisgender people (those who identify as the gender they were assigned at birth). After puberty, females are more likely to get headaches. This difference lasts until after menopause.

                       Hormonal Headache Causes

In addition to your menstrual cycle, these things can cause hormonal headaches:

Birth control: Some hormonal forms of birth control, including the pill, make headaches worse for some people and lessen them for others. Three weeks out of every month, they keep the hormones in your body steady. When you take placebo pills or no pills at all during the week of your period, your estrogen levels plummet and your head can pound.

Perimenopause: In the years before menopause, estrogen levels go on a roller-coaster ride. You may have both tension headaches, which result from stress, and migraines during this time. Once you’re in menopause (you stop having periods for good), you’ll probably have fewer migraines. But tension headaches often get worse.

                 Hormonal Headache Symptoms

A hormonal migraine is much like any other type of migraine. You may notice:

• Aura before the headache (not everyone gets this)
• Throbbing pain on one side of your head
• Nausea or vomiting
• Appetite loss
• Sensitivity to light, sound, and smells
• Chills
• Sweating
• Pale skin
• Sore or sensitive scalp
• Belly pain
• Blurry vision
• Dizziness

 

A PMS headache that comes before your period might have a few different symptoms:

• Head pain
• Fatigue
• Acne
• Joint pain
• Peeing less
• Constipation
• Lack of coordination
• Bigger appetite
• Cravings for chocolate, salt, or alcohol

        How Are Hormonal Headaches Diagnosed?

To figure out what’s causing your headaches, your doctor will ask you about your symptoms, as well as when and how often you get them. They may do a physical exam and other tests to rule out other conditions that could cause your symptoms.

No test can diagnose migraine, and it can be hard to figure out exactly what causes any type of headache. Often, migraine and other headaches are caused by a combination of things, such as hormones, stress, and sleep loss.

Keeping a headache diary might help you figure out whether hormones contribute to your headaches. You can track your symptoms, menstrual cycles, mood, and more. A pattern may emerge that gives you clues about whether your headaches are hormone-related.

Hormonal Headache and Menstrual Migraine  Treatment

Treatment for your headaches will depend on how serious they are, as well as your general health.

Hormonal headache treatments. An over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) like ibuprofen or naproxen may be enough to stop either a PMS headache or a hormonal migraine. Your doctor can prescribe stronger NSAIDs. Many treat period cramps as well.