Menstrual Migraines, Headaches and Natural Progesterone
Almost one in five women has migraines. Often these are related to the cycle, hence the link to hormones.
One theory about the cause of migraine is the blood flow theory, which focuses on blood vessel activity in the brain. Blood vessels either narrow or expand. Narrowing can constrict blood flow, causing problems with sight or dizziness. When the blood vessels expand, they press on nerves nearby, which causes pain.
Another theory focuses on chemical changes in the brain. When chemicals in the brain that send messages from one cell to another, including the messages to blood vessels to get narrow or expand, are interrupted, migraines can occur.
More recently, genes have been linked to migraine. People who get migraines may inherit abnormal genes that control the functions of certain brain cells. And something the person’s body is sensitive to in some way triggers the actual headaches.
Headache triggers can vary from person to person. Most migraines are not caused by a single factor or event. Your response to triggers can also vary from headache to headache.Many women with migraine tend to have attacks brought on by:
- lack of food or sleep
- bright light or loud noise
- hormone changes during the menstrual cycle
- stress and anxiety
- weather changes
- chocolate, alcohol, or nicotine
- some foods and food additives, such as MSG or nitrates
While migraine headaches affect millions of people, they are still less common than tension headaches. Tension headaches cause a more steady pain over the entire head rather than throbbing pain in one spot. Most of the time, migraine attacks happen once in awhile, but tension headaches can occur as often as every day. While fatigue and stress can bring on both tension and migraine headaches, migraines can be triggered by certain foods, changes in the body’s hormone levels, and even changes in the weather.
Migraine headaches are more common in women. In fact, about three out of four people who have migraines are women. They are most common in women between the ages of 35 and 45; this is often a time that women have more job, family, and social commitments. Women also tend to report higher levels of pain, longer headache time, and more symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting.
Hormones may also trigger migraine. Over half of women with migraine report having them right before, during, or after their period. Others get them for the first time when taking birth control pills. And some women start getting them when they enter menopause.
More than half of women with migraine have more headaches around or during their menstrual cycle. This is often called “menstrual migraine.”
Migraines are severe headaches that are associated with over-dilation of blood vessels in the brain. An allergic reaction or stress may be the cause. The most common medical treatment involves medication, which may result in side effects of muscle pains, numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes, rapid (or slowed) heart rate, and nausea and vomiting.
Migraine sufferers are always in fear of their next headache.
Women who regularly suffer from migraine headaches only at premenstrual times, most likely experience these episodes due to estrogen dominance. In addition to opposing the excess estrogen associated with estrogen dominance, progesterone helps to restore normal vascular tone, counteracting the blood vessel dilation that causes the headache.
Progesterone & Migraine Headaches
A 60 Day User Guide
This self-help user guide explains what causes migraine headaches, how to use progesterone to find long term relief, and then steps you through cream dosage & usage techniques.
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A Guide to Using Bioidentical Progesterone to Facilitate Fertility and Support Pregnancy
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A 60 Day User Guide
This publication is a MUST HAVE consumer guide to purchasing and using bioidentical progesterone.
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