It is a little known (or little recognized) fact that women experience are more likely to experience headaches than men do.
Science believes that women may have more painful headaches than men, as well. Naturally, there are a number of factors that
come into play when considering an individual’s chances of developing headaches, and the frequency of such problems. Age,
genetics, and family history can all play a role, but for women, there are a couple of other factors to be considered.
Hormone levels and birth control pills (which tamper with current levels or introduce synthetic hormones to the body) are
both possible factors in the headache equation.
As stated, there are several factors that can play a role in someone’s chances of getting headaches. For example, age appears
to be a big factor. The older one gets, theoretically, the more prone one is to experiencing headaches. People with a family
history of being susceptible to the problem are also at increased risk, though whether or not there is a concrete genetic
link is still uncertain. However, women have come to note that changes in hormones can often be accompanied by headaches.
This can include things like certain periods of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and any other times or circumstances that
alter a woman’s usual hormone levels. This includes the use (or overuse) of birth control pills and patches, which introduce
synthetic hormones.
The simple cause of this would be progesterone and estrogen, sometimes known as the core hormones of the female physiology.
The two of them may have an effect on other chemicals in the body, along with a variety of chemical receptors. Among the many
possible physiological compounds that can be affected by the two mentioned above are the ones that regulate and coordinate
headaches in the brain. This usually occurs due to some form of “correspondence” with other chemicals in the brain. For
example, high levels of estrogen and low levels of serotonin have been known to cause headaches in some patients, with the
intensity varying from the mild to the severe. As can be expected, there are times when the synthetic hormones of birth
control pills can also have similar effects.
Of course, just because hormone levels are a natural part of the body and can’t be discarded completely doesn’t mean the
average woman is defenseless against them. Modern medicine has ways of helping treat or prevent, as the case may be the
headaches. Most over-the-counter pain relievers are good ways of combating headaches that come during the start of
menstruation, which is typically accompanied by a sudden drop in estrogen levels. Proper diet and exercise, which are
basically considered to be good for pretty much anything, can also help reduce the intensity of hormone-related headaches
when they come. Proper and adequate sleep can also be critical in this.
What about those who use birth control pills? There are ways to fight off hormone-related headaches for women on the pill,
though the advice may be a tad bit different from those of women who aren’t. Taking a program that has more or less placebo
days can be useful in helping combat the potential increase in hormonal headaches. There are also pills and patches that do
not use estrogen or progesterone, and thus there is no increased risk of headaches.