Headache Before And After Period- Is It The Same Symptom?
Expertise: Beauty, Health, & Wellness
Experience: 2 years
Indrani is a writer and artist who likes to add a dash of humor to everything she does. She has two years of experience in writing articles across beauty, health, and lifestyle genres. After graduatin... more
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The love and hate relationship between you and your periods is eternal. You hate it when it happens, and you miss it when it doesn’t happen! Periods are like those partial teachers who will favor the ones sitting on the first bench, except, in this case, you can’t find the benches, so it’s random! While some will have absolutely painless periods, others will be coiled in their bed with a hot water bag praying for the cramps to disappear. And the cramps! They say period cramps are free monthly trial packages of how labor will feel like. Some even experience migraine-like headaches before, during and after periods. But that is not something that just happens randomly. Here is why some women get headaches during their menstrual cycle and what they signify.
Headaches Before Menstruation Cycle
Headaches are mainly caused due to changes in hormones. For some women, headaches signify that their period is about to begin. These are also called menstrual migraines and are pretty severe in nature. Headaches before your periods are linked to changing levels of hormones like progesterone and estrogen. Some may even be triggered by dietary habits and genetics.
Causes Of Menstrual Headache
The migraine before the period is linked to estrogen. If there is a drop in estrogen production, it might give you a headache. However, periods are not the only trigger for hormonal headaches. It can also result from pregnancy, menopause, hormone replacement therapy, and oral contraceptives. The good news is that there are many treatments and medications to relieve you of headaches before the periods start.
Can The Headache Mean You Are Pregnant?
Although a headache is one of the symptoms of conceiving, it does not mean you are pregnant for sure. There are common symptoms, too, like back pain, mood swings, and sensitive breasts. The clear signs of periods approaching are fatigue, joint pain, headache, increased appetite, cravings for chocolate, salt, or alcohol, peeing less, lack of coordination, acne, and constipation. The signs of pregnancy are nausea, mild spotting, cramping, missed or late periods, vaginal discharge, darkening or enlargement of the areola, and morning sickness.
How To Treat Headache Before Periods
We know how uncomfortable it can be to bleed restlessly and have a headache. Here are some ways to relieve the pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers, getting acupuncture, and getting a foot massage can help you prevent the migraine even before it starts. Even unconventional treatments like biofeedback and holding an ice pack can give you a lot of relief.
Medicines like Triptans, magnesium, NSAIDs, and even oral contraceptives can help you keep the migraine to a minimum.
Headache During Period
Your estrogen levels drop when your periods begin, and hence it causes a headache. For some women, the headache starts as soon as your periods start. So not only do you have to take care of the changing pads, cramps, and leakage, you also have to deal with a piercing pain on your forehead. This might make you sensitive towards light and make you feel uneasy.
Causes Of Headache During Period
The trigger remains the same, and that is the dropped estrogen levels. Taking birth control pills can make your pain go away. Genetics also has a lot to do with getting headaches during periods. Perimenopause and menopause can also be why you get frequent headaches during your periods. In addition to these, here are a few reasons that add to your headache. Not sleeping enough, intense odor, skipping meals, overindulgence in caffeine, and severe weather changes.
How To Reduce Headache During Periods
It has been proven that inculcating good and healthy habits like regular exercise, keeping hydrated, and practicing meditation can eliminate such problems.
Headache After Periods
Some women have headaches after periods. This is primarily the result of high-stress levels, genetics, dietary triggers, dehydration, low iron levels, and hormonal imbalance.
The headache is usually accompanied by vomiting, nausea, heart-throbbing, pressure behind the eyeballs, and sensitivity to light. One way to overcome it is by getting proper rest till the headache wears off. Simple treatments like a cold compress, fluids, and vitamin supplements also work to your benefit.
Being a woman was never easy, and pushing back health ailments and carrying on with work is something only we women can do. So now that you know all about what causes headaches before, during, and after periods, taking precautions and eating well should be your top priority. Not everyone gets headaches during their periods, but a large majority fights it every month. Always keep your fridge stocked with feel-good food like chocolates, cakes, coffee, ice-creams. Also, keep the hot water bag, sweatshirt, and pajamas ready as no one likes hunting for clothes when you get your periods. So, do you have any cheat codes for making your period’s pain-free? Let us know in the comments. Have a happy period!
