Op-Ed
Women going through menopause experience a variety of symptoms which range from the less mild ones to those that are more severe in their nature and effects. Among the latter ones, menopause headaches add significant inconvenience and it is believed that almost five out of ten women suffer from menopausal migraine. Although the intensity of these headaches decreases with age, it is important to look into their causes and possible remedies.
Although their intensity varies, in most cases these headaches are accompanied by intense pain in the forehead, temple and neck. A person suffering from them becomes extremely sensitive to bright light and noises as the pain increases. It is well known that menopause is associated with wildly fluctuating levels of estrogen in a woman’s body. This change in composition of estrogen is also one of the major factors behind migraine, since it makes the brain’s vessels expand at a more rapid rate than usual.
Dealing with Menopause and migraines
In many cases, a hormone replacement therapy might actually worsen the headaches or prove ineffective in stopping them. However, several other methods, along with the estrogen replacement, are available to supplement the resistance against these headaches. It is found that some of the natural stress releasing techniques e.g. acupuncture are more effective in overcoming the headaches compared to the medical remedies available nowadays.
Another good practice is to recognize and avoid the things that are believed to be the triggers of menopausal symptoms and episodes of migraine. For example, getting a good night’s sleep (reduces stress) and keeping your distance from certain food products e.g. chocolate, alcohol, MSG, and certain spices does a world of good in keeping the pain to a minimum.
Relaxing techniques like yoga, breathing exercises, massage therapy, pain management are also popular among menopausal women. Presently, a method called biofeedback is also being used as an effective counter measure. It involves learning detailed information about symptoms of menopause and the factors that might possibly be causing them. A better understanding of this results in the adoption of an effective and proactive approach towards the uprooting of these headaches.
Another important thing that should be kept in mind while dealing with menopausal migraines is that one should maintain a healthy lifestyle and develop a positive approach in handling the headaches. Keeping a check on your stress levels and resting whenever possible is vital. However, the fact that you are experiencing severe pain in your head should not be attributed to menopause alone. If the headaches persist, it is advised to get a medical examination to better determine their cause..
Research has shown that only 14 out of a 100 women experience menopause migraines due to the natural phase they are going through. There is almost always another contributing factor which can be cured with the help of medical attention.
You definitely want to visit http://symptomsformenopause.com/ and read Menopause and Migraines – Why Migraine Headaches are Worse during Menopause – it provide details on why the intensity of headaches increases during this phase of your life.
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Apart from frequent headaches women also go through other symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, heart palpitations and night sweats while going through the change. There are many remedies available but then they may have side effects. Natural/herbal supplements are safer as they come with no side effects and effectively alleviate menopausal symptoms. The one that helped curb my Mom’s hot flashes was Femestra that contains natural Rice Bran Oil. Femestra made the change simpler for my Mom and helped in getting back her own self.