While women can have "hormone headaches," hormones are really responsible for the headaches that both men and women suffer from. The painful response that most of us recognize as a headache is actually caused by hormones.
Hormones and Pain
Hormones start and then regulate many of our bodily functions, which is exactly what they were named for, since the word "hormone" is based on a Greek word that means "to begin, or set into motion." Hormones are produced by the endocrine glands, and together the endocrine system and nervous system work to keep the body's systems running consistently, in spite of the constantly changing environment around us.
Both the endocrine and nervous systems dictate the huge number of automatic responses that regulate your bodily functions, like whether your body will respond to a headache trigger along with a sensation of pain.
Women suffer from seven types of hormone headaches at various stages of their lives, something that they don't consider great at all. These include the following:
- Menstrual migraine
- Pre-menstrual syndrome headaches
- Headaches from oral contraceptives
- Pregnancy headaches
- Postnatal and postpartum headaches
- Menopause
- Hormone replacement headaches
Let’s examine them one at a time.
Menstrual Migraine
Menstrual migraine is a type of headache that occurs before, during or after the menstrual period. Estrogen is the main cause of menstrual migraines. Estrogen is the hormone that controls the menstrual cycle. Women are more likely to get menstrual migraines during times when estrogen and progesterone levels are fluctuating.
The pain brought about by a menstrual migraine is described as a kind of throbbing headache that usually begins on one side of the head, typically accompanied by a feeling of sickness and vomiting. Women about to experience a menstrual migraine often experience seeing bright lights or smelling a particular odor.
Pre-Menstrual Syndrome Headache
Pre-menstrual syndrome headaches usually happen before a period and has a different set of symptoms from a menstrual migraine. Once menstruation begins though, this type of headache goes away. Symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome headaches include:
- Tiredness
- Acne outbreaks
- Joint pains
- Infrequent urination
- Constipation
- Clumsiness
- Increased hunger
- Food cravings
Headaches from Oral Contraceptives
Migraines are a common side effect of using oral contraceptives. Because of this, many women stop taking oral contraceptives altogether.
Pregnancy Headaches
For many women, pregnancy is a good time to enjoy a break from migraines. It is not certain why migraines stop during pregnancy, but doctors think that it involves a woman’s receptors for estrogen, which ‘choose’ how a woman’s body responds to changes in hormones.
However, because everyone's receptors are different, there are also many women who continue to suffer migraines during pregnancy. While some women only experience migraines during the first trimester of pregnancy, other women continue to have migraines throughout their pregnancy.
Postnatal and Postpartum Headaches
After the baby is delivered, a sharp drop in estrogen and progesterone levels occurs, which commonly results in new mothers experiencing tension headaches.
Menopause
About 25% of women suffer from menopausal headaches. During menopause, a woman's estrogen levels drop and this drop can be gradual, occurring over a period of months to even several years.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Women who suffer from migraines should be well aware of the fact that undergoing hormone replacement therapy for a prolonged period of time could exacerbate their headaches.
For more help on the prevention, treatment and remedies for migraines please see the Complete Guide To Migraine Headaches.
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