HORMONAL HEADACHES

MENSTRUAL HEADACHES 

If one has a regular menstrual cycle, then it means that the hormone levels are normal. Headaches related to changes in hormone levels usually indicate that the body is responding in an abnormal way to the normal hormone fluctuations that occur during the menstrual cycle.

The best approach to dealing with the problem is to diagnose why your body is reacting abnormally to your normal hormone fluctuations. It is important to remember that the change in hormone levels is only a trigger, not the underlying cause of the pain. To find out why your body reacts in this way, you need what is called a “multidisciplinary approach". This must include an assessment of the tension in the head and neck muscles, an accurate assessment of whether the terminal branches of the external carotid artery are involved in the pain process, and whether the nerves to the scalp are tender. There are so many different structures in the head and neck, all of which can be involved in the headache process, that no single specialist can have all the knowledge necessary to make a comprehensive assessment and diagnosis. For this reason, the combined expertise of different specialists who would normally treat headache patients in isolation is incorporated into a single more comprehensive body of knowledge. This enables us to provide a co-ordinated treatment plan, so that all the contributing factors are addressed.

MIGRAINE AND CONTRACEPTION

Migraine sufferers who use oral contraceptives (The Pill), especially those who experience an aura before the pain, are more liable to the risk of stroke. The risk is even higher in those women who also smoke. Other forms of contraception should be discussed with the doctor or gynaecologist, and it is vitally important to stop smoking. 

Attacks of migraine can be severe and disabling, but almost three-quarters of women who have migraine without aura report improvement in headaches during pregnancy. However, there are important exceptions. First, if headaches are not improved by the end of the first three months, additional improvement is unlikely to occur. Second, women who have migraine with aura may be less likely to experience improvement during pregnancy compared with women who have migraine without aura. It is not unusual for aura to appear for the first time during pregnancy.

The use of herbal or ‘natural’ remedies may also be harmful during pregnancy, and even less is known regarding the safety and tolerability of most herbal treatments during pregnancy than is known for most prescription drugs.

The safest method of handling migraine and tension headaches during pregnancy is to have a thorough multidisciplinary assessment to ascertain the cause of the pain, and from which structures the pain emanates. Only once a COMPLETE DIAGNOSIS™ diagnosis has been made, can the appropriate non-drug treatment be instituted.