Hormone headaches are common in women. They are caused by the swings in hormone levels related to the women’s reproduction cycle. Estrogen levels become unbalanced and other hormone levels become unbalanced too. Hormone headaches occur if a woman is prone to premenstrual syndrome. They also occur regularly during the menses period and during menopause. Basically, if you are a woman, you may be subject to hormone headaches.
The severity of these headaches will vary from woman to woman. One woman may experience a dull ache while another woman will have one that is often confused with a migraine. A hormone headache will usually appear on one side of the head. A severe hormone headache will include the throbbing, aching pain with vomiting and nausea. They may last only a few hours but often last for several days. Hormone headaches can be so severe a woman may not be able to function as she would normally. The headache pain may be different from month to month. Some months they may be severe and some mild.
Treatment for hormone headaches will vary for each woman. Because they are caused by changes in hormone levels, birth control pills may help a hormone headache. They also may be the cause of them because they also change hormone levels in a woman’s body. Your doctor will help you regulate the hormones in your body to prevent hormone headaches.
You will get faster results if you begin treatment as soon as you realize you are getting a hormone headache. Often your doctor may prescribe a medication to begin taking a day or two before your menstrual cycle.
A woman may experience hormone headaches during the early stages of menopause, while pregnant, and during the postpartum period. Often a woman will start having hormone headaches when they first start taking birth control pills. A doctor can work to find the correct dosage to relieve this side effect. Often the hormone headaches will go away as the body adjusts to the new hormone levels. Medications can be prescribed and hormone headaches can be treated as any other headache. Over-the-counter drugs may be effective but if not, prescription medicines are suggested.
A hormone headache may have many of the symptoms of a migraine. Bright lights and loud sounds may make it worse. To reduce the severity of the headache symptoms, wear sunglasses while outside and avoid places with too much of noise. A hormone headache may also be triggered by smells also. Avoiding triggers, bright sunlight and loud noises may be effective in easing the pain of a hormone headache.
Hormone headaches can be confused with migraines. Your headache may also be a symptom of something more serious going on in your body. If you are having headaches that are not responding to normal headache treatments, you should consult your doctor. He or she may order tests to find out if your headache is caused by something more serious. He may suggest having blood tests or a CT scan to see if there is another problem.
