Migraines are more than just headaches—they are debilitating episodes that can disrupt work, family time, and overall quality of life. A migraine doctor can help you identify the root of your problems. For many people, hormonal changes play a significant role in triggering or intensifying these painful episodes, making the condition even more challenging to manage.
If you’re thinking about visiting a migraine doctor in Webster, Texas, and think your hormone fluctuations might be worsening your symptoms, this article can give you some light on what is happening and what you can do about it.
Understanding the Link Between Hormonal Changes and Migraines
Hormonal fluctuations can trigger migraines, which are the main reason why women are more likely to suffer from these severe headaches than men. This is especially true when it comes to estrogen drops, as they directly affect the pain pathways in the brain, making them more sensitive to pain signals.
Monthly menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause all cause at some point estrogen drops and other fluctuations. Moreover, if you’re on contraceptives or trying in-vitro fertilization, you can also experience more frequent and strong migraine attacks.
Because of this, each year, 17% of women suffer from migraines, compared to 6% of men. Additionally, for both genders, migraines are more common up and around 40 years old, and start decreasing after.
Common Symptoms of Hormonal Migraines
Most women who chronically suffer from migraines do so according to fluctuations during their menstrual cycle. If you’re noticing that your severe headaches are happening around the same time each month, you might be suffering from what is commonly known as hormonal migraines.
Typically, you can differentiate hormonal migraines from regular ones because:
- They last longer
- Are less responsive to normal treatments
- Happen right before or during your period
- Significantly increase in severity
- Cause intense throbbing headache on one side of the head
- Can come with nausea, sensitivity to light, and visual disturbances
Related: Take our Headache vs. Migraine quiz
Treatment for Hormonal Migraines by a Migraine Doctor
The approach you and your doctor have to treating hormonal migraines will be key to finding a comprehensive and long-term solution for you.
A Migraine Doctor in Webster, Texas
A migraine specialist will make sure to find the origin of your ailments and create a personalized treatment that targets your pain points successfully. For the diagnosis, your doctor will explore your medical and family history and perform or order different tests, such as hormonal assessments, for example.
From there, you can start building a plan for your relief. This can include medication (like hormone therapy, preventive treatments, etc), lifestyle changes recommendations, alternative approaches, or specific treatments according to your case.
Alternative Strategies
Additionally to your normal migraine treatments, there are several integrative approaches you can take in order to improve and accelerate your path to recovery. Remember that chronic pain, especially migraines, can be linked to emotional triggers, such as stress, anger, or anxiety. Holistic therapies seek to alleviate the current and physical pain, but also address underlying causes.
Discuss with your migraine doctor in Webster, Texas, if you can explore some of the following:
- Acupuncture
- Nutritional therapy
- Stress management techniques
- Herbal remedies
- Essential oils or aromatherapy
- Integrative medicine
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Our Approach at Space City Pain
We know how uncomfortable and incapacitating it can be to live with constant migraines. Not only that, but knowing that your hormones have a relevant role in that, can lead to anxiety, stress, and even repressed feelings of guilt and shame. While there is no perfect or universal cure to migraines, rest easy knowing that there exist several ways to manage your symptoms and give you a pain-free life.
Our board certified healthcare providers have made Space City Pain a pioneer in pain management in the community since 2004. Our friendly, bilingual, and highly specialized staff excels at providing pain relief to patients. If you are looking to get back to your old self and a pain-free life, book an appointment by calling 281-338-4443 or send us a message online today.
We don’t manage pain, we treat it.
