Hormonal Headaches

Hormonal headaches are a serious and often times debilitating form of headache that effects only women.

Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can have significant effects on the brain, often triggering severe headaches. Hormonal headaches are a part of the overall premenstrual cycle, and can start as early as eleven days before the menstrual cycle. Symptoms of hormonal headaches include severe migraine like pain, usually accompanied by a sensitivity to light and loud noises. The pain is usually described as a throbbing sensation. A great number of women experience hormonal headaches at one point or another in their life. The occurence of hormonal headaches can be hard to predict, although contraceptives are known to have an effect on their frequency. In some women, oral contraceptives can actually increase the occurence of hormonal headaches, while in others it ends up reducing the frequency of the headaches.

Accurately predicting the effect that oral contraceptives will have is difficult. Outside of contraceptives, the the real reasons behind hormonal headache remain unknown. Preventing hormonal headaches can be difficult, or at least hard to do. Fortunately, treatment for the effects of hormonal headaches can be highly effective. Over the counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can do an effective job of suppressing hormonal headache symptoms. Treatment with these over the counter drugs prior to an actual attack can mitigate their eventual affects. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen are all possible treatment options for hormonal headaches. These NSAID medications can possibly also play a role in reducing other premenstrual symptoms.

Migraine medications, such as triptans, can also be used to lessen the impact of hormone headaches. Although not a direct treatment for the cause of the headaches, triptans can significantly reduce the associated pain. Triptans and NSAID medication should be used wisely when attempting to reduce hormonal headaches, because they can cause reactions if overused. Overuse of both triptans and NSAID medication can cause "rebound" headaches in which the symptoms present even stronger. In addition to the premenstrual cycle, hormonal headaches also emerge during high hormone level periods. The early periods of childbirth can cause widespread changes in hormone levels, and this can easily trigger severe hormonal headaches. The days after childbirth are also a prime time for hormonal headaches to occur. Menopause can also frequently be associated with hormonal headaches.