Why Menopause Migraine Happen During Menopause?
Menopause and migraines are connected because of fluctuating hormone levels. Many women have already recognized this link between severe headaches and hormone levels. They have often been incapacitated by a migraine headache around the time of their menstrual cycle. There is a similar reason for the menopause symptom of hormonal migraine headaches.


What Causes Migraine Headaches?
As menopause and its symptoms begin to reveal themselves, hormone levels rise and fall like a rollercoaster ride. As these levels move out of control and out of balance, all areas of the body and its systems are affected in some way. Sometimes the consequences from these changes can be so subtle that they go unnoticed. When they cause more uncomfortable and even painful issues such as migraine headaches, reality really begins to set in.

Types of Hormonal Menopause and Migraine Headaches
Menopausal women can experience migraines different reasons. Some will respond to a decline in hormone levels by experiencing low estrogen headaches. Others will have them because of a rise in estrogen levels. In a situation where there are dramatic fluctuations of estrogen, a woman may have to endure both types of headaches. Some doctors think that if there is a long duration of elevated estrogen levels during perimenopause, when the sudden drop occurs right before menopause, the resulting headaches can be especially severe.

While no research has been able to determine precisely how these hormonal fluctuations result in migraines, many doctor’s do agree that hormones like progesterone and estrogen affect the brain and the blood vessels there. Estrogen makes the blood vessels dilate and expand whereas progesterone causes them to constrict. When the blood vessels are put under too much pressure by being forced to constrict and expand in response to these hormone fluctuations, many feel this stress in the form of intense migraines.


Other Factors and Triggers for Menopause and Headaches

Low Estrogen Headaches
Different factors can trigger and set off these headaches. There are even a few factors that can make them worse and more serious. Being stimulated by bright lights, very loud noise, and strong odors and fragrances can set off a migraine. Sometimes stress and anxiety can bring on a headache. This usually happens when one attempts to unwind and relax after a stressful situation. Menopausal women can become sensitive to weather changes and fluctuations in pressure, which may bring on a migraine.

Alcohol and Caffeine can be the Cause of Migraine Headache
Consuming alcohol and too much caffeine can encourage hormone imbalances. Sometimes minor alcohol and caffeine withdrawals, such as when you miss your morning coffee, can trigger a massive headache as well. In some people it has been shown that a small amount of tea and coffee a day can actually reduce the incidence of migraines for menopausal women. People respond to stimulants in different ways so pay attention to your individual response. Try to avoid skipping meals and fasting as adequate nutrition is vital in the balanced production of hormones. Aspartame has been linked with migraines so stay away from some sugar free drinks and snacks.

Food Migraine: What We Eat Can Make Menopause and Migraine Worst
At times the foods you eat and what they contain can result in a migraine. Nitrates found in hot dogs and lunch meats are considered triggers as well as MSG, an additive commonly used for Chinese food, at fast food places, and in seasonings. Tyramine may also be a trigger and is a chemical found in soy products, aged cheeses, fava beans, some sausages and smoked fish.

30% of women complain of migraine suffering and 70% of these women claim that the most painful headaches happen right before menstruation. This confirms that there is a connection between female hormone levels and headaches. Any who are facing menopause and migraines should seriously look into how they can regulate their levels of female hormones and help reduce the occasions of painful headaches.

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