Hormones Give You Headaches

Sometimes, migraine only occurs during these periods and is called "menstrual migraine". Before or during menstruation, in the first trimester of pregnancy, or after menopause, headaches are more frequent or severe.

Consumption of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy may also be the cause of migraine worsening.

Myth or reality

Menstruation is a normal event in the life of any woman, but at the same time over a period loaded with a certain sensitivity. The events, including the headache, that occur during this period are easier to remember and can be wrongly correlated with hormonal fluctuation, the association between them can be purely coincidental.

Therefore, it is very important to keep a diary of your headache in which to record every detail of your migraine. Even if the hormonal fluctuations are the cause of the headache, you should not feel like you are a victim of hormones.

Do not forget! Headaches associated with menstruation are not inevitable.

Experts have concluded that menstrual cramps are caused not only by hormonal fluctuations but also by genetic predispositions for migraines. Decreased estrogen triggers the onset of migraines by affecting the level of chemicals in the brain, especially by lowering serotonin.

Make an appointment with your doctor. There are several strategies to address these headaches. Most of the time, they are very effective. The other symptoms of the menstrual period, and I am referring especially to abdominal pain and fatigue, can make your headache worse.

The success of the treatment depends very much on the accuracy of the diagnosis, so try to be as objective as possible when writing down in your diary the characteristics of migraine during this period.

Many women with migraines experience an increase in the number of episodes in the first trimester of pregnancy, as well as the intensity of the headaches. After the second trimester, migraines, on the other hand, tend to be rarer and less intense.

Ask your doctor about any medications you may be taking during pregnancy. Many of the commonly used painkillers can hurt the baby in your womb. Plan your pregnancy so that you avoid the risk of accidentally exposing your baby to medication during the first months of pregnancy. Then, their harmful effects are stronger, and the signs of pregnancy that attract your attention are fewer.

It's not the intensity that matters

Although we are accustomed to categorizing pain depending on how much it bothers us, well, its intensity is not the criterion of severity. For example, migraine pain, which can often be unbearable, is harmless. On the other hand, the sinusitis headache, which is not very strong, is more severe.

High blood pressure can cause headaches, but it is quite rare before the age of 50. The pain occurs at high blood pressure levels, especially in the morning, after waking up, and is located behind the head, in the occipital area. After a few hours, it disappears spontaneously. Severe high blood pressure may cause a severe headache, accompanied by vomiting and visual disturbances.

It should not be confused with a migraine episode. If you experience hypertension, contact your doctor for a headache and check your blood pressure regularly.

For more safety, and especially if you suffer from migraines and hypertension, you can buy an electronic blood pressure monitor. You can use it alone, extremely simple. Do not forget! Blood pressure benefits from very effective treatments, which protect your kidneys, heart, and eyes.

Contraceptives and migraines

Contraceptives contain various concentrations of the two hormones: estrogen and progesterone or just progesterone. They have the role of "fooling" the body, thus preventing the production of ovulation. Lack of ovulation most often means not being able to get pregnant.

Experts have not been able to explain why contraceptives trigger migraine attacks, but many women have seen an increase in migraines since they started taking contraceptives.

After stopping contraception, migraines may return to their previous "habits." Sometimes it takes a few months for the effect of stopping them to be felt.

Strong vomiting without nausea, which you cannot control. The pain is getting worse, worse than usual. The headache is very sudden, intense, followed by persistent pain.

Severe headache, fever, sore throat when you try to bring your chin to your chest and you are bothered by the usual light. You have seizures. You can't move your hands or feet well or you have a weakness in your limbs. You are confused and you speak hard.

Visual impairments complicate

The presence of any of these symptoms should refer you to a doctor immediately: low values ​​of myopia, farsightedness, or astigmatism uncorrected with lenses allow you to see well with the price of the headache, caused by excessive concentration, but often imperceptible.

The pain is dull, felt behind the eyes, then spreading to the back of the head. It can often be confused with tension-type pain. It appears especially in writing, reading, or during other activities that require increased visual concentration.

The pain miraculously disappears when you wear corrective diopter lenses. Glaucoma can also cause pain in the eye, which then spreads to the head.

Yes. Headache occurs frequently during sinusitis, accompanied by fever, stuffy nose, sore throat.

In addition, you may experience pain or tenderness around the eyes, forehead, nose, and chest. When you bend your head, you feel a throbbing pain in your face and you are weak. All this usually takes more than a week.

5 solutions to fight sinusitis more easily

• Drink as much fluid as possible to prevent dehydration, but also to fluidize the secretions, allowing their drainage from the sinuses.
• Sit face down over a steamer (herbal tea, water with eucalyptus oil, or even plain water) and inhale through your nose for a few minutes.
• For a better effect, cover your head with a towel.
• Put warm compresses on your chest, around your nose and eyes, to relieve your pain.
• Consult your doctor to prescribe medication. Do not consume alcoholic beverages during sinus infections.

And good news! Often, the headaches that have a more serious cause are accompanied by other manifestations that lead the doctor to the correct diagnosis.