5 ways to give yourself a headache during menopause

Like the many other symptoms of menopause you experience, you may be able to blame an imbalance of estrogen and progesterone for those awful headaches that won’t go away. However, there are many kinds of headaches and many reasons why you could be suffering; sinus headaches induced by exposure to allergens, cluster headaches that are a result of a neurological disorder, or tension headaches that are among the most common and causes aren’t well understood.

It’s easy enough to blame uncontrollable factors for the reason you aren’t feeling up to par, but what if you are your own worst enemy? Long-term abuse of your body does not come without consequence. If the following list looks more like your daily routine than a cautionary tale, you may be in need of some self reflection.

Aggravators of headaches

Poor nutrition

If your headaches are a result of hormone imbalance, poor diet will make it harder for your chemicals to find balance. If it’s another cause, unhealthy habits will exacerbate that, too.

Stagnant lifestyle.

If you don’t get regular exercise, your neck and shoulders could be full of tension, which can cause you to feel pain in your head. Exercise is also a great way to relieve stress. Speaking of stress…

Stress

A factor in itself in headache science. Anxiety, depression, and stressful situations you have allowed to fester can all culminate in one, giant headache.

Alcohol and caffeine.

Dehydration can be a major cause of headaches. Both alcohol and caffeine prevent water absorption, so do yourself a favor and drink water instead.

Unhealthy sleep.

Weather you can’t sleep because of night flashes or you just can’t turn off your brain, waking up the next morning can be one groggy, mess of a headache. Also, too much sleep can go to your head. Get the right bed; if it’s too soft, you won’t want to wake up, and if it’s too hard, you’ll never get to sleep. The key is to finding something Goldilocks’ style; just right.

Recommendation

First and foremost, you should talk with your doctor to find out what type of headache you are suffering from. Lifestyle changes, though virtually side effect free, may not be the only treatment you need. Applications like acupuncture are gaining popularity in the holistic healing world, as well as recognition in traditional medicine. Only you and your doctor can decide what‘s best for you. Click on the following to know more about menopausal headaches.