Migraines And Menopause

Research has shown that migraines are much more prevalent in women than men. In fact, women suffer from migraines about three times as often as men. Sadly, about 27 million out of 36 million people who suffer from migraines are of the female gender. Why is it that women are prime targets for migraines? Hormones! Migraine headaches can be a serious problem for women going through the changes of menopause. As they can occur with varying degrees of intensity and duration, migraine headaches can range from a mild nuisance to debilitating. Migraine headaches are closely connected to a woman`s hormones; as a result they experience five times as many migraines as men. An estimated 30 percent of women experience migraine headaches before menopause, and that percentage only increases during the time of menopause.

What is a Migraine?
Migraines commonly cause a debilitating, throbbing pain that is worse on one side of the head. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and noise. Migraines usually last four to seventy-two hours and may occur often or rarely. Other symptoms may include:

• Severe recurring intense throbbing pain on one side of the head.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Pain behind one of your eyes.
• Pain that worsens due to light, noise, and sometimes smells.
• Pain that worsens due to routine physical activity.
• Visual disturbances such as auras.

Migraine with aura – A woman may have some of the following symptoms before a migraine begins:

• Seeing flashing lights and floating lines, or developing temporary peripheral blindness
• Numbness or tingling in the face or hands
• Distorted sense of smell, taste, or touch
• Mental confusion
• Migraine without aura – A woman will have all the other common symptoms of a migraine but will not have the sensory symptoms beforehand.

What Causes Migraines?

Unfortunately, the causes of migraines are not fully understood, but researchers think that they are caused by changes in the levels of brain chemicals. Furthermore, some evidence suggests that these hormonal migraines may be related to changes in the amount of serotonin in the brain. Genetics also have been linked to migraines, so women are more likely to have migraines if they have a family history. Women who suffer from migraines react to a variety of factors called “triggers.” These triggers can vary from person to person, but don’t always lead to a migraine:

• Hormonal changes in women.
• Foods.
• Stress.
• Sensory stimuli.
• Medications.
• Changes in wake-sleep routine.
• Physical factors.
• Changes in the weather.
• Illness.
• Side effects from medications.

A combination of triggers is more likely to set off a migraine. A useful tool in managing your migraines is to keep a headache diary of when they commonly occur to help identify the triggers and any relation to a woman’s menstrual cycle or hot flashes.

How are migraines treated?

Treatments without medication include biofeedback, relaxation techniques, changes in diet, stress reduction, acupuncture, and regular sleep/wake schedules. Medications can prevent migraines from occurring (magnesium, aspirin, triptans, ergots, and hormone therapy) or stop a migraine that has already begun (triptans and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)

HRT is given to women to treat symptoms of the menopause such as hot flushes and night sweats. Depending on the woman, HRT may help or hinder the treatment of migraine headaches. Therefore, HRT is not suitable or necessary for every woman, nor is it free of side effects. Therefore, if a woman decides to try HRT after getting the recommendation from her health care provider, it is important that she try it for three months to give her body time to find its balance.

Surgical Menopause

Menopause brought on by surgery does not usually improve migraine and it may even make it worse, especially if the ovaries are removed as well as uterus. If a hysterectomy is required for other medical reasons, the effects may sometimes be reduced by estrogen replacement therapy. Women should let their doctor know if they start to suffer from migraines later in life, if they experience any change in the typical pattern of migraine symptoms, or develop new symptoms. It may be that their doctor would like to give them a check-up and perhaps change the management of their migraines.

Tags: Acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol), migraine pain, migraine relief, Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), over the counter medication, treating migraines