Menstrual Headaches

Menstrual headaches are one of the most common and disturbing symptoms women can suffer from during menopause. The intensity of menstrual headaches can become severe and upset your life considerably. You should be aware of the causes and factors related to menstrual headaches during menopause in order to control these symptoms effectively. Read the following article which shows important information about menstrual headaches.

What are menstrual headaches?

Migraines affect aprox. 20 million women in the United States

Menstrual headaches are periodic headache attacks, in one or both sides of the head, characterized by a sharp pain that can last between 4 to 72 hours. These may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, an increased sensitivity to light (photophobia), dizziness, blurred vision, cognitive dysfunctions, and increased sensitivity to sound (phonophobia), as well as other symptoms. Menstrual headaches might reach a severe and frequent intensity, and, according to Dr. Michael Welch, "Migraines can incapacitate some patients".

Many factors can trigger menstrual headaches; therefore, women should know the causes of this symptom in detail to understand how to face them. The following articles show and explain the different causes for menstrual headaches.

What Causes menstrual headaches?

The causes of menstrual headaches can be divided into psychological and physical. Psychological causes aren't as common as physical causes; in fact, it's normally accepted that physical causes are responsible for menstrual headaches in most women.

Physical causes of menstrual headaches. Because the most probable cause of menstrual headaches is hormone imbalance, it is generally accepted that declining estrogen hormones are responsible for these migraines and headaches. In short, when hormones fluctuate, blood vessels in the brain overreact, causing headaches and migraines. Therefore, when estrogen hormones start dropping, it is very probable that migraines will become more frequent and more intense. This can happen in menopause or even when a woman has her normal periods (in which hormonal fluctuations also occur). Therefore, the best way to avoid menstrual headaches is to keep a healthy balanced level of estrogen hormones.

There are other infrequent and rarer causes for menstrual headaches, such as: hereditary genes, stroke, and some medication. However, hormonal imbalance is the most common cause of menstrual headaches. Keep reading to learn about the most efficient ways to cope with menstrual headaches.

What to do about menstrual headaches?

The most important way to get the right treatment for menstrual headaches is to find out whether your problem is psychological or physical.

	Psychological: Menstrual headaches caused by stress, overwork and fatigue should be treated by scheduling rest and relaxation time as well as integrating an exercise program in your daily routine. Keep in mind that in most cases a combination of psychological and physical treatments is the best option for managing menstrual headaches.		Physical: Because menstrual headaches are probably caused by low hormonal levels, a hormonal balancing program is the best solution. There are several ways to manage menstrual headaches, but the best way is by combining therapies such as "lifestyle approaches" and alternative medicine.
	A healthy lifestyle prevents menstrual headaches		Alternative medicine helps to control menstrual headaches

Which are the three approaches to treat menstrual headaches?
Three levels of approaches can be considered for treating menstrual headaches: (1)lifestyle changes, (2)alternative approaches and (3)drugs and surgery. The safest way is to start with the least risky treatment for menstrual headaches and go on to the next level only if it is necessary. Click on treatments for menstrual headaches to learn all about these three excellent approaches.