Can Estrogen Levels Cause Headaches
Estrogen dominance is the most common cause of hormonal headaches. This can occur when there is an excess amount of estrogen in your system either because you are making too much, not eliminating it effectively, or are being over exposed to xenoestrogens.
It can also happen if you’re not ovulating or not making sufficient progesterone.
Estrogen dominance is referred to as estrogen excess in medicine and is a diagnosable condition. Sometimes doctors will say they do not believe in estrogen dominance, but this is often because they are not testing correctly or familiar with the diagnosis .
But other hormones can also cause headaches, like your adrenals and thyroid, as well as nutrient deficiencies such as magnesium.
Working with a hormone expert can help you identify the source of your headaches and support you in relieving them for good.
Finding your root cause is important to understand if something bigger is at play.
Ok, so finding the root cause is important and sure Ibuprofen and Tylenol are bad, but when theres pain, whats a girl to do?
Whats A Migraine What Does A Migraine Feel Like
A migraine is a common neurological disease that causes a variety of symptoms, most notably a throbbing, pulsing headache on one side of your head. Your migraine will likely get worse with physical activity, lights, sounds or smells. It may last at least four hours or even days. About 12% of Americans have this genetic disorder. Research shows that its the sixth most disabling disease in the world.
How To Get Rid Of A Migraine Naturally
Have you ever had a migraine headache? If you have, you know how painful one can be, and if you havent, chances are someone you know has. Given how debilitating migraine symptoms can be, anyone affected wants to know how to get rid of a migraine.
Estimates show that 6 percent to 18 percent of the adult population suffers from recurrent migraines . Women get migraines about three times more often than men, and surveys show that more than on in four women will have at least one severe migraine attack at some time in her life.
For many people, migraines start in their teenage years and continue throughout their 20s and 30s. Roughly 10 percent of teenagers experience frequent migraines, especially during puberty due to hormonal changes. Chronic migraines, meaning those that cause attacks on more than 15 days per months, affect about 2 percent of the total population and peak in adults between their 30s and 40s.
Although migraine headaches do tend to run in families and have a genetic component, certain lifestyle choices can greatly impact how often and severely someone suffers from attacks. Migraines and also other common types of tension headaches that affect up to 90 percent of people from time to time dont need to become just a normal part of life. And even if youve had headaches for years, its not too late to change things.
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What Are Some Ways To Help With Migraine
In addition to medication and other medical treatments, there are a variety of remedies and lifestyle habits you can use at home to help manage symptoms and attacks.
These are remedies that you can use at home to help manage migraine symptoms and attacks. In addition to these remedies, you can also consider alternative treatments, such as acupuncture and nerve stimulation devices.
Be sure to include your doctor in the conversation and never alter your treatment plan without consulting them.
What Causes And Triggers Migraine Headaches
When it comes to migraines, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Various things can cause migraines, and what triggers a migraine for one person may not trigger another. However, some common migraine triggers tend to be more prevalent than others.
One of the most common migraine triggers is stress. Stress can be caused by various things, including work, family, and personal relationships. When youre under stress, your body releases hormones that can trigger a migraine.
Another common migraine triggers changes in weather or barometric pressure. If theres a sudden change in the weather, such as a drop in temperature or a change in barometric pressure, it can trigger a migraine.
Certain foods and drinks can also trigger a migraine. Common culprits include aged cheeses, chocolate, caffeine, and red wine. Avoiding these trigger foods and drinks is best if youre susceptible to migraines.
Hormonal changes can also trigger migraines. Women are especially susceptible to migraines during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. If youre a woman who experiences migraines, its important to track your menstrual cycle and be aware of any changes in your hormone levels.
Many potential migraine triggers exist, including bright lights, loud noises, and strong smells. If you experience migraines, its important to keep a migraine diary to track your triggers and try to avoid them.
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When Should I Seek Immediate Help Or Contact My Healthcare Provider
- You are experiencing the worst headache of my life.
- You are having neurologic symptoms that youve never had before, including speaking difficulty, balance problems, vision problems, mental confusion, seizures or numbing/tingling sensations.
- Your headache comes on suddenly.
- You have a headache after experiencing a head injury.
Schedule a visit with your healthcare provider if:
- The number or severity of your headaches increase or your headache pattern changes.
- Your medications no longer seem to be working or youre experiencing new or different side effects.
Make Sure You Have Ice
A regular ice pack will help, but Dr. Natbony says you can also buy an ice hat that you keep in the freezer until a migraine hits. A lot of patients find them really, really helpful to put on in the midst of a migraine attack, says Dr. Natbony. That way, you dont have to sit in an awkward position trying to keep the ice on your head. Its also designed to cover your eyes if that offers some relief.
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There are headaches and then there are migraines. About one in ten people experience these types of headaches, which bring intense pain and other symptoms. While some sufferers only get migraines occasionally, others have them several times a month, and they significantly interfere with daily life.
The good news: Research shows that many migraine remedies, including natural herbs and supplements, provide effective relief and reduce the need for medication. These natural therapies can not only decrease the number of migraines you experience but also lessen the severity when one strikes.
Dont Go Looking For Trouble
No two migraines are exactly the same, and no two people will experience the exact same headache.
However, we do know that certain things are more likely to be migraine triggers. These include stress, light, caffeine, alcohol, lack of sleep, and even certain foods.
Tinsley, who also gets these terrible headaches, recommends keeping a food and migraine journal to find any common denominators. He recommends starting by eliminating the most common triggers, then using trial and error to determine your perfect storm for a migraine.
Sometimes its a combination of these things that trigger the migraines, he says. For example, your migraine triggers can be a mix of things you can and cant control: a stressful week, a drop in pressure due to a storm, a drink with dinner and chocolate cake for dessert.
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Whats A Migraine Journal
- Keeping a migraine journal is not only beneficial to you, but it helps your healthcare provider with the diagnosis process. Your journal should be detailed and updated as much as possible before, during and after a migraine attack. Consider keeping track of the following:
- The date and time of when the migraine began specifically when the prodrome started, if youre able to tell its happening. Track time passing. When did the aura phase begin? The headache? The postdrome? Do your best to tell what stage youre in and how long it lasts. If theres a pattern, that may help you anticipate what will happen in the future.
- What are your symptoms? Be specific.
- Note how many hours of sleep you got the night before it happened and your stress level. Whats causing your stress?
- Note the weather.
- Log your food and water intake. Did you eat something that triggered the migraine? Did you miss a meal?
- Describe the type of pain and rate it on a one to 10 scale with 10 being the worst pain youve ever experienced.
- Where is the pain located? One side of your head? Your jaw? Your eye?
- List all of the medications you took. This includes any daily prescriptions, any supplements and any pain medication you took.
- How did you try to treat your migraine, and did it work? What medicine did you take, at what dosage, at what time?
- Consider other triggers. Maybe you played basketball in the sunlight? Maybe you watched a movie that had flashing lights? If youre a woman, are you on your period?
What Are Other Ways To Get Rid Of Headaches
If natural remedies for headaches are not working for you, consider any lifestyle factors that could be contributing. For example:
- Regular exercise promotes good circulation.
- Eat and sleep on a regular schedule.
- Your headache may be a result of overexposure to screens like smartphones, TVs, and computers. Give your mind a break by adding some screen-free time into your schedule.
- Your headache could be a symptom of strained eyesight. Figuring out how to get rid of a headache may be as simple as updating your eyeglass prescription.
- Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink.
If none of these headache remedies work for you, visit your doctor.
Small changes in your daily routines may help relieve headaches naturally. By changing your diet, you may be able to pinpoint any food or ingredients that trouble your system. Even reducing your exposure to digital screens may offer relief.
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Best Proven Home Remedies For Migraine Headaches Relief
A migraine headache can be a debilitating condition that can significantly interfere with ones quality of life. However, some home remedies may help lessen the severity of migraine headaches or even prevent them from occurring.
Some of these home remedies include: drinking plenty of water, getting regular exercise, managing stress, avoiding trigger foods, and sleeping well. While migraines can be difficult to deal with, there are ways to help manage them.
Many prescription medications are available to help relieve the pain but have side effects. If you are looking for a natural way to relieve your migraine pain, several home remedies can help.
Who Gets Migraines What Are The Risk Factors
Migraines can affect people of all ages, but theyre most common in adults between the ages of 25 and 55. Women are more likely to get migraines than men.
There are several possible causes of migraines, but the exact cause is unknown. Some possible migraine triggers include:
- Hormonal changes in women
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Drink Caffeinated Tea Or Coffee
Sipping on beverages that contain caffeine, such as tea or coffee, may provide relief when you are experiencing a headache.
Caffeine improves mood, increases alertness and constricts blood vessels, all of which can have a positive effect on headache symptoms .
It also helps increase the effectiveness of common medications used to treat headaches, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen .
However, caffeine withdrawal has also been shown to cause headaches if a person regularly consumes large amounts of caffeine and suddenly stops.
Therefore, people who get frequent headaches should be mindful of their caffeine intake .
Certain herbs including feverfew and butterbur may reduce headache symptoms.
Feverfew is a flowering plant that has anti-inflammatory properties.
Some studies suggest that taking feverfew supplements in doses of 50150 mg per day may reduce headache frequency. However, other studies have failed to find a benefit .
Butterbur root comes from a perennial shrub native to Germany and, like feverfew, has anti-inflammatory effects.
Several studies have shown that taking butterbur extract in doses of 50150 mg reduces headache symptoms in both adults and children .
Feverfew is generally considered safe if taken in recommended amounts. However, butterbur should be treated with caution, as unpurified forms can cause liver damage, and the effects of its long-term use are unknown (
Foods containing them have been shown to trigger headaches in some people.
Make A Treatment Plan
Developing a good relationship with the doctor who is helping you manage your migraine is important. Review your symptoms and triggers with your doctor. Together, you can create a treatment plan that will not only help you manage the pain when a migraine happens, but keep them from developing in the first place.
A good treatment plan should include:
- identifying the type of migraine you have
- identifying triggers
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Magnesium May Reduce Migraine Frequency And Intensity
Magnesium can be taken as a natural supplement to prevent migraine attacks, says Nada Hindiyeh, MD, a headache specialist and researcher at Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, California.
In a meta-analysis published in 2016 in Pain Physician, oral magnesium was shown to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks. There was also evidence that intravenous magnesium could help reduce the severity of an acute migraine attack within 15 to 45 minutes.
Many healthy foods provide magnesium, including bananas, flaxseeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, dark chocolate, and leafy greens such as spinach and Swiss chard.
Home Remedies To Help Prevent Migraine
The best way to prevent migraine is by sticking to a routine that works for you. This is because keeping things predictableeven down to what time you eat or how long you sleep each nightcan help you identify potential migraine triggers. Put simply, if something is off in your routine, and then you get migraine, you have an obvious suspect for the cause. Even though its impossible to prevent migraine 100% of the time, the tips below can make them less frequent for some people:
Migraine is awful, no doubt, but it doesnt have to control everything you do. Having a consistent schedule and routine is helpful, but you dont have to go overboard with it. In fact, doing so can make you feel overwhelmed and stressed out, which, ultimately, is a migraine trigger itself. Sometimes people get very preoccupied with journaling, Dr. Csere says. It can kind of take over your life.
Just stick to the basics: Write down when you have a gnarly headache, note if it was mild or severe, and consider any obvious triggers that could have been linked to it. Even these general notes can help provide your doctor with valuable information without overloading yourself with homework.
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When To Talk To Your Doctor
Alternative migraine treatment options such as those discussed here are generally considered to be safe. However, even innocuous substances and supplements can interact with prescriptions. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about any treatments that you are considering incorporating into your routine. You should also talk to your healthcare provider anytime you experience changes in your migraine symptoms, such as experiencing more frequent headache days.
Ease Pain And Nausea With Ginger
Heres a remedy you likely have in your kitchen. You may already know about gingers ability to settle upset stomachs. But did you know this spice may help with migraines beyond the nausea?
In a 2014 study, ginger powder reduced the severity and length of migraines as well as a migraine-relieving prescription drug, but with fewer side effects.
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Do Any Home Remedies To Treat Migraine Work
You cant relieve a migraine attack instantlyif only! But many people use home remedies in addition to their OTC or prescription medications to help make the pain more manageable.
Its important to have a plan in place, even when you dont have a migraine headache. This can just outline what youll do whenever you feel one coming on because early management can help squash your symptoms before they become debilitating. Keeping your medication handy in multiple places can be invaluable. Then consider trying these pain relief strategies:
- Rest in a dark, quiet room. This can be beneficial because movement, light, and sound can be particularly unpleasant when youre in the throes of a migraine attack.
- Treat it like an injury. Applying a cool compress can help numb the pain in your head, Dr. Csere says: But some people prefer warmth, so if youve tried cool compresses and it doesnt help, warm ones may. Thats because warm temperatures may help relax tense muscles in the head, neck, or shoulders, easing any pain that may be associated with that tension.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Becoming dehydrated can make you feel much worse.