Hormone headaches are caused by multiple factors like diet and genetics. Hormone levels fluctuation is the primary reason behind chronic headache and menstrual migraines in women.
Hormone levels can change during the menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, and during menopause, and may be affected by oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapies.
Various forms of medicines and other treatments are used to relieve headaches. Women who experience hormonal headaches often find relief during pregnancy or upon attaining menopause.
Causes
Headaches such as migraine headaches had been linked to the female hormone estrogen. Estrogen controls chemicals within the brain that influence pain. A drop in estrogen levels can set off a headache. Hormone levels can change due to certain causes, including:
Menstrual cycle: levels of estrogen and progesterone fall to their lowest phases just prior to menstruation.
Pregnancy: Estrogen levels rise in pregnancy. For a lot of women, hormonal headaches may go away for the duration of pregnancy. Nevertheless, some ladies experience their first migraines during early pregnancy and then in finding comfort after the first trimester. After giving birth, estrogen levels may fall swiftly.
Perimenopause and menopause: Hormone fluctuation in perimenopause (the years leading to menopause) may result in having more headaches. Roughly two-thirds of women who experience migraines say that their signs often improve as they reach menopause. For some, migraines may actually get aggravated. Hormone replacement therapies may be the reason for some migraines.
Hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives: Hormone replacement therapy and birth control medications can make hormone levels to rise and fall. Women whose migraines come as a consequence of hormonal alterations while on the pill regularly have migraine attacks during the final week of the cycle, when the pills do not have hormones.
Other contributing factors:
- Genetics
- Skipping meals
- Getting too much or too little sleep
- Intense lights, sounds, or smells
- Severe weather changes
- Alcoholic beverages, especially red wine
- Too much caffeine or caffeine withdrawal
- Stress
- Processed meats, hard sausages, and smoked fish
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer
- Aged cheeses
- Soy products
- Artificial sweeteners
