Migraine headaches (also called migraines) are common in women, who are three times more likely to experience them than are men. Typically, women who experience migraine headaches have their first migraine after menarche (the initiation of menstruation) while they are a teenager. Migraine headaches can occur at any time in a womans life, including during pregnancy.
Migraine headaches are most common in pre-menopausal women around 40 years of age. After menopause, migraine headaches occur less frequently in many women than in the pre-menopausal years.
Causes of migraines include:[1]
Fluctuation of estrogen from a high level to a low level in the body
Excessively high level of estrogen in the body
Estrogen-related retention of sodium in the body
Insufficient level of progesterone in the body
Birth control pills
Hormone replacement therapy after menopause or estrogen replacement therapy after menopause
Other medications
Low function of the thyroid gland
Lowered function of the liver in removing metabolic breakdown products of hormones, metabolic breakdown products of foods, and toxic chemicals from the body
High levels of copper in the body
Inadequate function of the lungs in bringing sufficient oxygen to the body
Overexposure to sunlight
Glare from television and computer screens
Overexposure to heat
Noise
Improper diet
Allergy to caffeine present in coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate
Allergy to red wine
Allergy to peanuts
Allergy to tyramine, a chemical present in alcohol, organ meats, chocolate, soy sauce, yeast sour cream, yogurt, aged cheeses, and yeast extracts (a supplement)
Allergy to the sugar substitute, aspartame
Allergies to the preservatives, sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, which are found in smoked fish (including lox) and preserved meats (such as bacon, bologna, corned beef, hot dogs, pastrami, pepperoni, and sausage)
Allergy to the food additive, monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is used to enhance the flavor of certain prepared foods available at groceries and restaurants
Insufficient sleep and other poor sleeping patterns
Physical exertion and other forms of physical stress
Intellectual stress, such as taking exams for coursework
Emotional stress, including frustration and anger
The reason that some premenopausal women experience migraine headaches at certain times of their menstrual cycle is due to fluctuations in the level of estrogen in the body. High levels of estrogen can cause the body to retain too much sodium, which can lead to chronic inflammation and eventually to a variety of chronic diseases, including migraine headaches. In pre-menopausal women, timing of migraine headaches vary, including:[1,2]
At the time of ovulation (i.e, when an egg is released from an ovary)
Just prior to the menstrual period
During the menstrual period
The nature, degree of severity of symptoms, frequency, and duration of migraine headaches vary.[2] As the degree of severity of symptoms and duration of migraine headaches are variable, so is the extent to which a womans normal activities can be affected by a migraine headache.
Symptoms of migraine headaches may include:[1, 2]
Throbbing pain in the head
Steady pain in the head and face, including the cheeks and/or jaw
Tightness of the muscles of the neck, forehead, and shoulders
Feeling of congestion in the veins of the face, including the area of the sinuses
Red, flushed appearance of the skin of the face and/or distended veins in the face
Abnormalities of vision, including tunnel vision (a narrow field of vision) and seeing spots
Redness of the whites of the eyes
Sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells
Aversion to eating certain types of foods
Feeling of hunger at certain times of the day
Craving for chocolate, carbohydrates, and/or salty foods
Nausea and vomiting
Abdominal discomfort, and constipation
Feeling chilled
Insomnia (i.e., difficulty sleeping)
Fatigue
Lack of ability to focus mentally
Sense of disorientation and mental confusion
Sense of being disconnected, and perception that things are occurring very slowly
Depression and sadness
Emotional irritability
Many ways to prevent, manage, and treat migraine headaches are available. (See our Q&A called Treatment of Migraine Headaches.)
REFERENCES
1. I. Ikenze. Menopause & Homeopathy: A Guide for Women in Mid-Life. 1998. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.
2. J. Reichenberg-Ullman. 2004. Whole Woman Homeopathy. Edmonds, WA: Picnic Point Press.
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