Can menopause cause headaches?
Simply and unfortunately, yes it can. Let’s talk about why it causes headaches, and what you can do about it.
Menopause can cause headaches (or even migraines) due to falling estrogen levels, especially if you’re already prone to hormonal migraines.
However, your headaches will not be cyclical, since you no longer have periods. Eventually, the blood flow to your brain gets used to the lower estrogen levels, and your migraines become less frequent and less intense.
Migraines are not the only type of headache you can experience during menopause.
Tension headaches are also common as you go through the change. There’s more inflammation at the muscular level, causing nerve impingement due to low progesterone and estrogen levels. In fact, you can expect more aching in the body altogether, with headaches just being a part of the experience.
Another factor that can lead to headaches during menopause is dehydration. Your brain needs to stay hydrated, with enough glucose and blood flow to really function properly. As blood flow can be affected by the lower hormone levels that come with menopause, your brain is more prone to dehydration. This can especially be the case if you’re not staying well hydrated and taking in enough electrolytes. Sometimes, you don’t even notice that you’re having an issue because you don’t feel thirsty. This results in your body not having enough water to stay well hydrated at the cellular level.
Sinus headaches can also be an issue during menopause. The reason for that is increased inflammation of the nasal passages and sinuses. As your hormone levels decrease in perimenopause, when progesterone is lower and estrogen is a little more dominant, there may be swelling in your sinuses. This can cause pressure headaches.
So what can you do about menopausal headaches? One of the top ways to deal with menopausal headaches is to balance out your hormones. The headaches are caused by your depleting hormone levels. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can be helpful, but your HRT needs to perfectly fit you or you may actually get more headaches. Make sure you eat a nutrient-rich, plant-based diet, get enough water, and don’t drink too much alcohol. This can also help to avoid menopausal headaches.
When it comes to treating menopausal headaches, supporting your hypothalamus can make a huge difference.
My patients who suffer from hormonal headaches and make it a priority to balance their hypothalamus with Genesis Gold notice a decrease in frequency and intensity of headaches.
These symptoms of menopause can be really tough to negotiate when you’re on your own. That’s why I’ve created the Hormone Reboot Training to actually help you understand what’s happening to your body at a hormonal level. Joining this will give you access to my hormone support group, where we talk about the symptoms of menopause and I answer your questions in Facebook Lives on a weekly basis. I hope you’ll decide to join us.
Hello last weekend I suffered some extremely horrible migraine I am a cervical cancer survivor the headache are not as constant but am having them periodically now they last like 15 to 20 minutes and they are extremely bad what do I do to ease some off this please