We've known for a very long time that girls are more likely than men to have migraine attacks.
As children, girls and boys Experience migraines equally. But after puberty, women are two to 3 times more prone to experience this potentially debilitating condition.
Recently, an Australian study suggests that it could be more common than we previously thought — more One in three women Live with migraines.
For comparison, migraine affects one in 15 people in Australia.
So, what’s behind the difference? What we do know is that this.
More than a headache
Migrants Not just a nasty headache—it's a fancy disorder that causes the brain to process sensory information abnormally.
This implies that the “migraine brain” could have trouble processing information from any of the five senses.
- Vision (causing problems with light sensitivity and glare)
- Voice (results in sensitivity to noise)
- Smelling (some smells can trigger headaches)
- Touch (resulting in facial or scalp tenderness)
- Taste (distorted taste, causes nausea and vomiting).
Migraine attacks Usually lasts anywhere from 4 hours to a few days – but might be longer.
In addition to the above symptoms, attacks can include headaches, dizziness, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. These are additional symptoms which helps in diagnosis Migraine – no location of headache or pain intensity.
Why are attacks more frequent in women?
Puberty is when the difference between men and women emerges. This happens when our bodies massively increase the production of sex hormones.
People are sometimes surprised to learn that each men and ladies produce estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Men have higher levels of testosterone, while women have higher levels of estrogen and progesterone.
However, it's not only the form of hormone that matters, but the best way they fluctuate over time.
For many ladies, definitelyMilestone moments” When their migraines are made worse by hormonal fluctuations—puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and perimenopause (the lead-up to your last period).
For example, some women experience menstrual flare-ups every month, when estrogen levels drop, linked to phases of their monthly menstrual cycle.
They may even have the option to predict when their period will start, as in migraine attacks. Start normally A couple of days before the bleeding.
How do hormones affect the brain?
Women with migraines could also be more sensitive to hormonal changes. This is particularly the case with a sudden drop in estrogen. But much more subtle changes in hormone levels can trigger migraine attacks.
These hormonal changes can activate brain processes that trigger migraines, e.g Cortical spreading depressions. This is a really slow wave of electrical activity that travels through the brain, causing some areas to work more slowly than others after it passes through.
A decrease in estrogen may affect how we receive and process information Trigeminal nerve. It plays a key role within the initiation and maintenance of migraine pain.
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All sorts of ups and downs generally is a trigger
pregnancy Frequent migraines can destabilize again and make attacks more likely, even when someone has previously enjoyed a period of fine migraine control.
Migraine symptoms often turn into uncontrollable, especially in the primary trimester, on account of rapid hormonal changes to sustain pregnancy. It often settles within the second and third trimesters, when hormonal changes stabilize.
However, giving birth is one other change.
Towards the top of pregnancy, estrogen levels could also be 30 times higher than pre-pregnancy levels, and progesterone could also be 20 times higher. when These hormones drop Back to normal after childbirth, migraine attacks can often worsen again.
Perimenopause may include erratic surges of estrogen from the dwindling supply of eggs inside the ovaries — which previously produced these hormones cyclically and steadily. This irregular hormone production may cause random spikes in migraine attacks. This might be extra difficult when combined with other menopausal symptoms akin to hot flushes or mood swings.
Hormonal contraception And menopausal hormone therapy may affect migraine control. Sometimes, supplementing with hormones in a gradual, stable dose each day might help manage hormone-sensitive headaches and other symptoms. However, for others, adding extra hormones can trigger headaches.
Does Migraine Run within the Family?
Genes also play a task. It's no coincidence that migraines run in families on the maternal side.
This is the rationale Mothers passed on mitochondria For children (while fathers don’t). Mitochondria are the parts contained in the cell that control energy.
People with migraine have less functional enzymes within their mitochondriameaning that their brains are in a state of low energy. It is aggravated by migraine attacks because there may be much more stress on the system.
This is why additional stress (akin to sleep deprivation, missed meals, or emotional stress) can trigger a migraine and make the pain worse.
There can be one Strong link Between migraine and anxiety and depression in women – Conditions Women More likely Developing in response to stressful life events.
Know your patterns
If you watched that hormones are affecting your migraine attacks, it's helpful to maintain a diary of symptoms, including headaches. Mark every day where you get your migraine symptoms, in addition to your period, to search for patterns.
Identifying patterns in pain flares helps doctors guide a personalised medication plan, which can include hormone treatments or non-hormonal treatments.