Most women get headaches during menstruation, we want to know the cause of this and ways to prevent it.
migraine; Annoying but safe
Migraine headaches affect about 12-15% of the world’s population and occur three times more often in women than in men. Most people experience their first migraine attack between the ages of 25 and 61. This headache usually starts with a vague pain and gradually turns into a stabbing and throbbing pain in the temples, which is sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting. About 15 to 20% of migraine patients experience symptoms called migraine headache precursors or “aura” before the onset of their headache. Aura can take the form of visual effects (such as seeing flashes of light and flashes), olfactory changes (such as smelling bad smells), sensory fluctuations (such as tingling fingers), and changes in the sense of taste. This phenomenon, which usually lasts 20 to 60 minutes, is actually a kind of warning for the onset of a migraine headache.
Hormones are to blame!
The prevalence of migraine before puberty is higher in boys than in girls, but after the onset of the first menstruation, it clearly increases in girls. This shows that there is a close relationship between hormonal changes, especially estrogen, and migraine headaches. Of course, women’s susceptibility to migraine headaches is different at different stages of life. For example, at the time of menarche (the beginning of the first menstruation), the beginning of each menstrual cycle, the use of contraceptive pills, early pregnancy, the postpartum period, before the onset of menopause, after menopause, and during the use of estrogen and progesterone hormones, the prevalence of this headache increases.
The first attack in the first year of menstruation
About one-third of women with migraines experience their first migraine attacks in the first year after menarche. The menstrual cycle represents the perfect regulation and balance between the hormones of the brain, pituitary, hypothalamus and ovaries. Along with the increase in estrogen and progesterone levels, ovulation occurs in the middle days of the cycle between days 11 and 15. After ovulation, the hormone level starts to increase, and at the end of the cycle, before the menstrual bleeding, a sharp drop in hormones is seen. It seems that the drop in hormones, especially estrogen, affects the brain and blood vessels and leads to migraine headaches. The uterus alone secretes a hormone called prostaglandin, which causes muscle cramps before menstruation, painful menstruation and headaches. Of course, it is noteworthy that female hormones are not the only cause of headaches, but the hormone serotonin is known as the primary and provoking factor of all headaches.
What day of the month does it occur?
According to some experts, menstrual migraine is a headache that occurs 2 days before menstruation and 3 days after its onset. Of course, migraine may also occur before menstruation. Premenstrual migraine is usually associated with symptoms such as joint pain, acne, fatigue, increased appetite and desire to eat chocolate and salt. In addition, people who suffer from premenstrual headaches usually complain of decreased libido, memory impairment, and anxiety attacks, which often resolve with the onset of menstruation. In general, 60% of women with migraine suffer from headaches during menstruation or before its onset more than at other times. These headaches are longer in terms of time and more severe in terms of quality and are more difficult to respond to treatment. It should be noted that menstrual migraine is usually without aura and starts on one side of the head and has a stabbing quality. Meanwhile, it may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound.
How is it treated?
Menstrual migraine treatment includes drug and non-drug treatment. Women whose headaches occur more often around the time of menstruation should start their medication five days before the start of menstruation and continue until the end of menstruation. In this context, it has been proven that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as naproxen and ibuprofen are effective in reducing headaches and should be taken two to three times a day. Some patients also respond well to the new generation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as Celebrex even by taking them once a day. These drugs have longer effectiveness and less side effects on the digestive system.
Pregnancy reduces the problem!
During pregnancy, only about 19% of women suffer from migraine headaches. In fact, pregnancy seems to protect women from headaches by continuously releasing estrogen and progesterone hormones. However, if a migraine headache occurs during pregnancy, it will subside after the first trimester. The treatment of headache in the first trimester should be done with great care due to the high sensitivity of the fetus to the drug, because most of the painkillers are contraindicated in this trimester.
The world famous tennis player also gets headaches
Serena Williams is one of the famous tennis players in the world who had severe migraine attacks every month before her period started, to the extent that sometimes she could not even attend important matches, but finally after five years of numerous referrals to specialists, she realized that the main cause of her headaches was “fluctuations in sex hormones.” It is feminine.
You may not get rid of menopause!
Menopause does not happen in one day with the complete completion of menstruation and ovulation, but the body may remain under the influence of these changes for months and even years. In the process of menopause, about 50% of women experience some degree of reduction in physical and emotional ability. About 25% of them also suffer from joint pains, irregular heartbeat, hot flashes and headaches. Alternative hormones can be used to eliminate these symptoms. However, all treatments have their side effects and must be chosen correctly and in consultation with a doctor.
Don’t eat cheese, chocolate and pizza
Food triggers do not necessarily cause migraine headaches in all patients, but a specific food may trigger a migraine attack for each patient, so be an expert on the list of food triggers and identify these foods empirically. Naturally, by eliminating these foods, you will prevent headaches.
In general, it is better to avoid these foods: processed cheeses, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, moldy cheese, aged cheese, pickles, salt, chocolate, fermented and aged ingredients, nuts and snacks, butter, peanuts, Chocolate or cheesy sweets such as cheese cake, soy sauce, salted and smoked meat, salted and smoked fish, sour fruits, bananas, pizza, a lot of tea, coffee and cola and caffeinated drinks, sausage, sausage, chicken liver and alcoholic drinks.
Childbirth and tension headaches
Postpartum headaches and labor pains are common. This type of headache occurs due to a sharp drop in estrogen and progesterone levels and is often of a tension type (pain in the form of a tight band around the head with a mild pressing quality), but migraine patients can also experience headaches after childbirth. However, their headaches are often milder than usual.
1+5 anti-headache advice!
Follow the following recommendations to reduce the severity of migraine attacks:
Eat three meals a day and a late night snack or eat six small meals throughout the day and avoid hunger.
– Avoid eating sweet foods on an empty stomach and do not replace them with meals.
All food, especially protein, must be freshly prepared. Be careful about eating food that has been in the refrigerator for more than two or three days.
– Avoid smoking because it can cause headache or make it worse.
– Set a specific time for eating. Do not delay or skip meals. Do not forget to exercise daily.
– Take the prescribed medicines and do not change the time of taking them. Also, do not increase their dose without consulting your doctor.
The best
August 29, 1394 15:47
share (How can you send this article to others)
