Women are already twice as likely as men to suffer from migraine headaches. These painful and often disabling headaches can wreak havoc on your day, so why is it that women struggle more. Doctors believe that hormones may be a trigger for migraines. Not only do the natural occurrences of hormone fluctuation in our body, such as menstruation, menopause, pregnancy, and breastfeeding cause migraine tendencies, but medications used during these times to support other needs may add to migraine risk. One of these questionable medications is birth-control pills. Are these pills a pain reliever or problem-maker?
Pills Posing Problems?
There are many factors involved in the occurrence of headaches in both men and women; however women seem to notice a strong tie between their migraines and hormonal changes. The hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are key components in the monthly menstrual cycle and pregnancy, may have an adverse affect on chemicals in the brain that induce headaches. Maintaining a consistent level of estrogen in the body may help to improve headaches. Hormones fluctuate with each monthly cycle and at all stages of pregnancy and even following childbirth.
For some, the use of birth-control pills may be the stabilizer needed for their hormones in order to reduce both the severity and frequency of migraines. On the other hand, some women only experience the onset of migraines once they begin taking birth control. Should this happen, there are several courses of action that can be taken to reach your birth-control needs and alleviate headaches. Speak with your physician regarding a need for changes to your current treatment plan. The most popular alternatives if migraines seem to be induced by your menstrual cycle are:
- Eliminate the placebo days completed from the month by taking extended-cycle estrogen-progestin birth control pills
- Use birth control pills that contain a lower dose of estrogen.
- Take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to reduce discomfort
- Wear an estrogen patch during placebo days.
These are all suggested alternatives for meeting your needs, but any changes to your current birth control plan or migraine treatment plan should only be made with the support of your attending physician.
Tags: aura, cause of migraines, enlarged blood vessels, genetics, Hormonal, menstration, migraine, migraine triggers, stress, Weather
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