Issue Date: April 27, 2008
Headaches and hormones
Migraines have an estrogen connection.
By Dr. Tedd Mitchell
According to the American Academy of Neurology, nearly one in five adult women gets migraines, compared with only one in 20 adult men.
Many women who suffer from migraines experience them around the time of their period. This has prompted much research into the unique role that female hormones play in the sequence of events culminating in a migraine.
Shifts in estrogen levels seem to be the key when it comes to migraines. Part of a woman's cycle involves a slowly but consistently rising level of estrogen, followed by a rather rapid decline as progesterone shifts into high gear. It's during this "estrogen withdrawal" that women are most susceptible to a menstrual migraine.
Treatment options for less severe menstrual migraines include over-the-counter agents, such as anti-inflammatory pain killers (like naproxen sodium) or a combination of aspirin and acetaminophen (Tylenol) or caffeine and acetaminophen. For those with more frequent or significant problems, prescription medications are also an option. And for women who have severe migraines, experts sometimes recommend preventive treatment that starts before estrogen levels drop.
Tedd Mitchell, M.D., president of Dallas' Cooper Clinic, writes HealthSmart every week.
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