Health News Desk, Headache is seen more in women than in men. Apart from fasting, exposure to sunlight, lack of sleep, stress and period cycle triggers, many other symptoms of migraine are seen in some women. There is a lot of difference between common headache and menstruation migraine. The reason for this is the decrease in estrogen just before the menstrual cycle. Let us know its causes and symptoms.
Menstrual Migraine and Estrogen Supplementation
According to the news published in the English portal, you cannot use normal migraine medicines in menstruation migraine. Because it has no effect on it. Low doses of estrogen are given during menstrual migraine, which are not resistant to the usual medications given to treat migraine episodes. Helps address declining estrogen levels. Which often triggers these headaches.
Estrogen and Migraine
The female hormone, given in the form of a compound called ethinyl estradiol, is a double-edged sword. When given at high doses, it can cause stroke in those women. Those who have a type of migraine called ‘migraine with aura’. In this condition the patient may have transient visual symptoms such as flashing lights or unusual sensory symptoms on one side of the body or, rarely, before the normal pattern of a migraine headache. Paralysis and difficulty speaking occur. However, these are short-lived and occur immediately before the onset of headache. These patients are more likely to have a stroke if they take estrogen. And it increases manifold in smokers or people with a family history of stroke.
Risk Reduction Strategies for Migraine
The risk is usually minimal on modern doses of ethinyl estradiol or progestin-only pills prescribed today. Another female hormone that seems harmless in terms of stroke risk. Patients who have ‘migraine with aura’ should inform their gynecologist/obstetrician about their condition as changes in hormonal pills can be made accordingly. Other methods of contraception such as Copper-T or progestin-only pills may be explored in these patients.
Hormonal therapy in postmenopausal women
Hormonal therapy after menopause is quite different from contraception. The amount of estrogen given is very low and there is no risk of ‘migraine with aura’ or stroke in smokers. Therefore, it can be taken safely in these cases.
