Menstrual Headaches

Menstrual headaches are one of the most common and bothersome symptoms women can suffer from during menopause. Depending on their severity, the symptom has the potential to upset daily life considerably. In order to handle the symptoms of menstrual headaches during menopause, take some time to look over the following information about its causes and treatments.

What Exactly Are Menstrual Headaches?

Menstrual headaches are defined as times of sharp headache pains, felt in either one or both sides of the head for anywhere between four and (in some cases) 72 hours. The experience can often be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and blurred vision. There is a variety of factors that can trigger this symptom, and an understanding of them can greatly help in preventing repeated occurrences.

What Are the Causes of Menstrual Headaches?

Menstrual headache causes can generally be classified into two sections; those that are caused by psychological factors and those caused by physical. Normally, most women experience headaches because of the latter.

Psychological causes

General anxiety along with other everyday forms of stress, overwork and fatigue can trigger the symptom. If these aspects of your life cannot be reasonably managed, they can lead to continued emotional upset. This in turn can have a negative effect on the body, creating changes that might instigate prolonged headaches.

Physical causes

The most likely cause of menstrual headaches is hormonal imbalance. This is because when estrogen hormones fluctuate (as they are prone to do during menopause) the blood vessels in the brain tend to expand, triggering headaches and migraines. When estrogen hormones start dropping, this intensifies the process and menstrual headaches become more frequent and painful. The best way to avoid them is to attempt keeping your estrogen levels as balanced as possible.

What Can Be Done About Menstrual Headaches?

Identifying whether menstrual headaches are a symptom of psychological or physiological factors is vital to choosing effective treatment. If they are caused by lifestyle stresses, such as overwork or sleep loss, the problem can be handled through a change of diet or exercise routine.

On the other hand, headaches are caused by physical changes as a result of menopause, a hormonal balancing program could the best solution. In this case, alternative medicine treatments have been shown to naturally address the issue of hormonal imbalance. For best results, try combining a healthy lifestyle with alternative medicine supplements. More specific treatments for menstrual headaches can be found here.