Why do sex hormones can cause an increase in headaches and migraines?

 

 

A lot of women present to our clinic, describing that their headaches and migraines get worse around the time of their period. But what actually is it that causes the spike in the headaches and migraines and what can you do about it?

Hi, I'm Dr. Katie and I'm an osteopath here at Melbourne Headache Solutions. Today I'm here to talk to you about hormonal imbalances and how they can be affecting your headaches and migraines.

Hormones can affect you in two ways. The first one is that hormones can act as a trigger, just like red wine, cheese, and chocolate can affect certain people. This means that every time your period comes around, your hormones will set off a headache or migraine. If the cause of your headaches and migraine is treated, however, these hormones can no longer act as a trigger causing you these attacks. In this instance, your neck is most likely the problem and needs to be treated, which is what we do here in the clinic. And the second way that your hormones can contribute to your pain is through a hormonal imbalance, which keeps the system sensitized and contributes to your headaches and migraines.

The major female sex hormones are estrogen and progesterone. It's a sudden change in estrogen that's associated with headaches and migraines. When you have a hormonally related headache or migraine, this means that you're more likely to notice a spike in headaches and migraines within the five days of menstruation. Some common signs and symptoms of the sex hormone imbalance can include excessive weight gain, or difficulty losing weight, decreased sex drive, increased acne around menstruation, hot flushes, or irregular or heavy periods, digestive issues, including constipation, breast tenderness, and mood swings.

So hormonal imbalances can arise around puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, whole menopause –due to the hormonal changes that the body goes through during these significant life events.

Hormonal imbalances are also very commonly associated with polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS. So other lifestyle factors that can contribute to a hormonal imbalance include excessive phytoestrogen consumption, being overweight and eating lots of processed foods.

So, what can you do to help yourself if you think you've got a hormonal imbalance?

Getting enough sleep is very important. Sleep helps the body heal from the stresses of the day that precedes it. Uh, not getting enough sleep leaves your body in this constant state of damage, which places a large amount of strain within your body.

Decreasing alcohol content can also be beneficial. Alcohol can cause a rise in estrogen levels as the liver is supposed to detox the alcohol and estrogen at the same time. But if the liver is preoccupied, detoxing all the alcohol, then there's nothing to do with estrogen and then it builds up –which can cause heavier and longer periods, breast pain, and an increase in your headaches and migraines.

Keeping track of the food that you put into your body can also be very handy. So, lots of foods that we eat contain high levels of phytoestrogens, which is a variant of estrogen that’s not made by the body. Phytoestrogen consumption should be moderated in relation to whether you have high or low levels of estrogen.

Supplementation can also be of massive benefit. So, there are lots of great supplements on the market at the moment that can help manage fluctuations of hormones. Naturopaths are also a great resource to help manage these hormonal imbalances. And I highly recommend discussing supplementation with them. If you think that you have a hormonal imbalance.

So, those are some quick and easy things that you can try at home and, uh, likely to help with mild to moderate symptoms of a hormonal imbalance. Naturopaths and functional medicine practitioners can also give a massive benefit in managing hormonal imbalances. If you're experiencing more severe symptoms of a hormonal imbalance, however, it's recommended that you have a checkup with your doctor, just to make sure that there's no underlying cause for this imbalance.

If you think your hormones may be contributing to your headaches and migraines, or if you're unsure about the cause, take our migraine assessment to know what's causing it. We can also help you find a better path to managing your headaches and migraines.

If you have any questions, please ask them below and we'll get back to you. You can also visit us at Melbourne Headache Solutions or book your initial consultation here.