A migraine attack can occur once in a month, once a week or even once every day and hence it is episodic. It occurs in the brain and nerves and so is neurological and therefore, migraine is defined as an episodic neurological disorder.
The migraine attack may occur for the first time for boys at about 10 years of age and for girls, the peak age for experiencing a migraine is near 14 years, during their first menstrual period. So, it is sensible to conclude that migraines may be hormonally related and is often referred to as a menstrual migraine.
When compared to other migraines, menstrual migraines last longer, are more severe, occur more often with nausea and vomiting and are more difficult to treat. Migraines are related to changes in the level of estrogen during a woman's menstrual cycle, which drops immediately before the start of menstrual flow.
Premenstrual migraines regularly occur during or after the time when the female hormones estrogen and progesterone decrease to their lowest levels. But generally, migraine attacks disappear during pregnancy. Women who undergo hormone replacement therapy for menopause and those who take birth control pills experience change in the frequency or severity of migraine headaches.
Strictly, a menstrual migraine is the one, which starts from two days before to three days after the first day of period and occurs around most of the periods. There are two types of migraine; pure menstrual migraine is the one, which occurs only around periods and not at other times and menstrual associated migraine is the other that occurs around the periods and at other times too.
Migraines become more frequent while a woman approaches the menopause, since the level of estrogen tends to fluctuate at this stage. However, once past the menopause, the number of migraines tends to reduce. A migraine diary maintained for three months or so helps to see the pattern of migraines and confirm it as a menstrual migraine.
For women, who have a severe menstrual migraine, it is better to prevent them before the attack -at least to make it less frequent and less severe. It is good to maintain a dairy to compare before and after treatment. Once the migraine attack takes place, the treatment for it is the same as for other causes of migraine, such as anti-inflammatory painkillers and taking estrogen supplements.
Anti inflammatory painkillers can be used to treat migraine attacks and a short course can be used to treat as soon as the period starts, until the end of the menstrual period. But people who have duodenal ulcer or asthma cannot take such medications. A few days use of anti-inflammatory pill will have no side effects. Another option for treatment of menstrual migraine is to enhance the level of estrogen just before and during the periods, which is like hormone replacement therapy just for seven days each month.
Related Articles
Understanding Migraine
By: Lesley Lyon | 20/05/2008 | Health
Migraine is a neurological syndrome that causes several symptoms, the most prominent symptom being the headache. This article discusses the syndrome in detail and how to mitigate the pains associated with it.
Common Migraine Symptoms
By: Lesley Lyon | 20/05/2008 | Health
A majority of the migraine attacks are accompanied by headache, which is an intense, throbbing or pounding pain involving one temple. At times, the pain may be located in the forehead or around the eye or the back of the head. Read on to know some of the common symptoms of migraine.
Protecting Kids From Abdominal Migraine
By: Lesley Lyon | 20/05/2008 | Health
Abdominal migraine is the pain in the abdomen even when there is no headache and it occurs often in children but rarely in adults. Read on to know the symptoms of abdominal migraine and certain treatment methods to keep the pain under control.
Controlling Migraine During Pregnancy
By: Lesley Lyon | 20/05/2008 | Health
Migraines almost disappear for some women during pregnancy and for some others they may get worse or even happen for the first time. Read on to know how to deal with migraines during pregnancy.
Proven Methods for Migraine Relief
By: Lesley Lyon | 20/05/2008 | Health
The main objective of migraine relief is to relieve the pain after it has started and just before it gets worse. This article lists out some of the time-tested methods that help reduce the pains to a great extent.
Effective Migraine Treatment Methods
By: Lesley Lyon | 20/05/2008 | Health
The treatment to migraine with drugs can be approached in two ways either by preventing the attack or by relieving the symptoms during the attack. This article discusses some of the effective treatment methods to control migraine.
Identify Migraine Symptoms for Treatment and Relief
By: Tom Sample | 27/03/2007 | Non-Fiction
A tension headache on the other hand, affects the whole head and rarely lasts as long as a migraine.
Migraine
By: peterhutch | 03/07/2008 | Medicine
Migraine is a form of headache associated with vascular contraction. It makes patient hypersensitive and is identified by throbbing pain either in one-side of headache or in whole. It is caused by contraction in blood vessels and other chemical changes in brain
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
TMJ lying down pain
By: L666EVE | 25-04-2008
I have recently been diagnosed with TMJ. I have severe pain in jaw and neck. Pain can become very intense if I lie down or sit with my feet raised. My throat , neck and tonsils become very painful. Is this common. My doctor has not heard of these symptoms in relation to TMJ. Regards Evelyn
How do you get rid of your headaches?
By: dreadlocks | 20-02-2008
I have started to get really light headaches at night, and then the next day it hurts a lot, one of those really difficult ones to get rid of. I have one right now. How do I get rid of it?
Is caffeine good or bad with regard to headaches?
By: IsabellaLily | 07-02-2008
I've been getting headaches recently. Does coffee cause them or help them?
Help for migraine sufferers???
By: MusicIsMyHotHotSex | 13-12-2007
My mom has horrible migraines accompanied by vomiting and nausea.She is not a wine drinker which is known to cause headaches.My mom,who is usually so tough and resilient,cries when she get's these migraines and I can't stand to see her in pain.What can help?Be it prescription,holistic,organic or whatever we need a remedy.Any replies are much appreciated.
What should i take food or oil or any thing which ...
By: surekha | 16-10-2007
what should i take food or oil or any thing which taken from home please advice me
Thyromine and Armour Thyroid
By: Jaime | 14-10-2007
Hi. I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I am taking Armour thyroid. My hair is still falling. Would Thyromine help me?? Can I take thyromine on top of Armour Thyroid?Thanks
Q&A Powered by:
More from Lesley Lyon
Advantages of External Hard Drive
By: Lesley Lyon | 17/06/2008 | Hardware
An external hard drive is a very constructive piece of equipment in the sense that it allows the user to back up or store important information detached from the main internal hard drive. Read on to know the benefits of storing backup files in external hard drives.
Optimizing Memory Card Performances
By: Lesley Lyon | 17/06/2008 | Hardware
A memory card is an extension card, which can be inserted into a multitude of appliances like a computer, a digital camera, a personal digital assistant, a smart phone or an MP3 player. Read on to learn how to optimize memory card performances for better storage solutions.
Sd Card and Its Salient Features
By: Lesley Lyon | 17/06/2008 | Hardware
The tiny, easy to use SD card offers a multitude of powerful advantages by linking an assortment of digital equipment through its easy connectivity and does not require the use of a PC. Read on to know the salient features of SD cards currently available in the market.
Usb Memory Sticks’ Types and Varieties
By: Lesley Lyon | 17/06/2008 | Hardware
The memory stick is a silicon medium that is designed for a wide range of audio and visual applications. Read on to know the different types of USB memory sticks and their functions.
Finding Better Usb Mass Storage Solutions
By: Lesley Lyon | 17/06/2008 | Hardware
The USB Mass Storage Device Class (USB MSC) is a set of computing communications protocol that runs on the Universal Serial Bus (USB). Read on to know how to find better USB mass storage solutions.
Popular Types of Usb Pen Drives
By: Lesley Lyon | 17/06/2008 | Hardware
A USB flash drive is a plug and play device. It is as easy as simply plugging into any USB port and the computer automatically detects it as another removable drive. This article lists out a number of popular types of pen drives currently sold in the market.
Taking Xbox 360 in a Flash Drive
By: Lesley Lyon | 17/06/2008 | Hardware
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft in co-operation with IBM, ATI and SiS. Read on to know how to take the console in a flash drive or a detachable hard drive.
Understanding Usb Flash Drive Functionalities
By: Lesley Lyon | 17/06/2008 | Hardware
USB Flash Drives are small, light weight, removable and re-writ able flash memory data storage devices incorporated with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector. This article discusses different functionalities of USB flash drives in detail.
Health 
