Menopause and Headaches
Menopause and headaches - particularly migraines may be linked. Many women know the harsh reality of migraine headaches. You’re moving along with your day and doing just fine. You’re keeping up on your schedule and handling the stress, then suddenly, it hits. Pain and sensitivity to light and sound are just a few of the symptoms that may knock you off your feet. While some migraines may only last a few hours, others can continue for days, completely disrupting your life. If you’re getting older, you may start to experience migraines for the first time, or find they are increasing. Before you start to panic that something is wrong, you should consider that your migraines may actually be linked to your menopause. So why the link between menopause and headaches? The most common cause of migraines is the fluctuating levels of hormones in the body. Many women with migraines may notice that they occur at certain times during the month. This is because their migraines are related to their estrogen levels. Menopause cause bigger changes and may result in more frequent or severe migraines. Your doctor can probably help you treat these migraines with lifestyle changes and herbal remedies. Be wary of starting hormone replacement therapy because this may actually worsen your migraines. Not all migraines are caused by fluctuating hormones. A fewer number of women have migraines triggered by being emotional or stressed out. Once these women reach menopause, they’ll probably find themselves more emotional and more stressed out. The cure for these migraines may be to simply relax; take a bath, meditate, or use aromatherapy. Once you unwind, your migraine may get better. If you’re approaching the age of 50, and you begin to get migraines, you’re more likely to be entering menopause rather than have a serious problem, but you should still consult a doctor. A very few number of migraines are caused by serious problems. The sooner these problems are treated, the better of you’ll be. Even if it’s not a serious problem, your doctor may recommend treatment to prevent many of the diseases associated with menopause, like osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases. If you have experienced migraines most of your life, especially if they coincide with your menstrual cycle, there is some good news for you. The stage where your period starts changing and your migraines worsen is actually called perimenopause; menopause doesn’t officially start until a year after your last period. Once you actually reach menopause, your symptoms are likely to decrease. While doctors are not sure, this may be related to menopause or may simply be because migraine symptoms naturally decrease with time. An interesting, but possibly painful statistic is that most women who experience early menopause due to removal of the ovaries, experience an increase in migraines. This is one of the many reasons doctors prefer to allow menopause to occur naturally if at all possible. While menopause and headaches may be linked, they are likely to be treatable. You should visit your doctor if you have the onset of or changes in your migraine symptoms. They have several options for helping you get back to your normal life. Related Articles
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