A throbbing headache has confined you to the house for another day. You may even be unable to tolerate daylight and feel nauseous. Many women suffer from hormonal headaches. These can occur, for example, around menstruation, but also during menopause. Do you suffer from headaches during menopause? Read on.
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What is a hormonal headache?
Fluctuations in your hormones can cause headaches. When headaches are caused by this, they are also known as hormonal headaches. Hormonal headaches are common not only around menstruation but also during menopause. This is no surprise, as menopause is precisely the period when your hormones fluctuate. They are seeking a new balance. Hormonal headaches can also occur, for example, after childbirth or while breastfeeding.
How does menopause work exactly?
As you enter menopause, your egg cells are depleted. They no longer mature every month. Your menstruation becomes more irregular. Sometimes you may notice that your periods come closer together at the beginning of menopause, only to have more time between them before they stop altogether. If you have not had a period for a year, you know that you have reached menopause. Menopause is the point at which you had your last period.
Want to know more about menopause? Read: The phases of menopause explained >>
Headaches and menopause
Headaches are one of the common discomforts during menopause. In addition to headaches, you may also often suffer from mood swings and hot flashes. Night sweats are also common. As a result, many women also suffer from insomnia or poor nights' sleep. Sleep deprivation also does not help when it comes to headaches.
Postmenopause and headaches?
There is also good news: when menopause is over and your hormones stabilize again, headaches often subside as well. Of course, you may still occasionally have a headache, just like anyone else. But hormonal headaches become less frequent.
What is the difference between a headache and migraine?
Both migraines and other forms of headaches occur during menopause. With a headache such as a tension headache, you usually have pain on both sides of your head and it feels tight. You feel migraine on one side of your head. Migraine is a throbbing pain, and with this form of headache, you are often also sensitive to light and sound and may feel nauseous. Many people with migraines stay in bed during an attack.
Also typical of a migraine attack is seeing an 'aura': you see shimmering lights, waves, flashes or spots in your field of vision. This aura can be accompanied by tingling or numbness in your face or hand. This is located, just like the headache, on one side of your body and lasts for a few minutes to an hour. The headache then sets in after the aura.
What can you do about headaches during menopause?
A few tips to reduce headache symptoms during menopause:
Get enough rest and relax when you can. Stress has a negative effect on headaches. Do you feel a headache or migraine attack coming on? Then rest immediately. Make a cup of tea, lie down for a while or do whatever gives you the relaxation you need.
Make sure you get enough exercise during the day. Do you work at a desk? Get up from it regularly. By keeping your muscles moving, you prevent muscle stiffness. Stiff muscles, for example in your shoulders or neck, also often cause headaches.
Do you have many migraine attacks or persistent headaches? Then consult your GP. Keeping a headache diary can give you and your GP insights into the cause of your headaches.
