Headache in women is caused by a number of features of the body. There may be several reasons for the unpleasant symptom. These include: hormonal imbalances, stress, vascular disease, overwork. Often a headache occurs against the background of an existing chronic disease. Treatment is selected on an individual basis. according to the established diagnosis.
Hormonal changes
Frequent headaches in women in the age group of 18-35 years are due to turbulent hormonal processes. Such pain is mainly expressed in the form of migraines. Insufficient or, on the contrary, excessive production of certain hormones disrupts the functioning of the endocrine glands, leads to a number of disorders in the body, including affecting the functions of brain activity.
In women over the age of 35, the so-called restructuring of the body begins, and this process is often accompanied by regular headaches. It cannot be said that these are always severe pains, but nevertheless they can cause a lot of inconvenience. They come 2-3 times a week and may become more frequent closer to the menstrual period. There is no need to use any special pharmaceutical preparations. Symptomatic treatment, painkillers are recommended.
Headache in the premenstrual period can also be caused by hormonal instability, accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, insomnia and irritability. This condition does not require drug treatment, as this is a natural process due to the individual characteristics of the body. If the symptoms are severe, the specialist prescribes an examination to identify the causes of pain. Analgesics or antispasmodics are prescribed.
Pain in the premenstrual period can be caused by the activity of progesterone, which is produced and enters the blood in a large volume. The set of characteristic symptoms is called premenstrual syndrome. During menstruation, the level of progesterone in the blood drops sharply, which also causes hormonal imbalance, which can make you feel unwell. The causes of frequent headaches in women often lie in the disruption of the organs of the reproductive system, the thyroid gland. To identify diseases, you should contact an endocrinologist.
cluster pain
Cluster pain is an unpleasant and not always explainable phenomenon. They can appear suddenly for no apparent reason. This symptom may be accompanied by stress, overwork, restless sleep. Fortunately, such pains last from a few minutes to an hour and a half. It is not always advisable to fight this phenomenon, especially if the discomfort disappears on its own within a few minutes. They do not lend themselves to popular explanations, and the usual painkillers do little to help in this case.
Hormonal imbalance during pregnancy
Pregnancy is a period that may be accompanied by a number of characteristic symptoms and conditions that arise due to the body's adaptation to a new "position". Causes of headaches in women during pregnancy are hormonal disorders. This is especially pronounced in the first trimester. A proper balanced diet, walks in the fresh air and a minimum number of stressful situations will help to somewhat improve the situation.
stress
The causes of frequent headaches in women can be stress. The fact is that the fair sex is less stress-resistant than men, which immediately manifests itself in migraines. In this case, the headache can be of varying intensity, be incredibly "intrusive" and not treatable with analgesics. However, in most cases, such a headache is caused by a sharp vasospasm against the background of the production of the hormone adrenaline. It passes on its own after a few hours, and an anesthetic drug (No-shpa, Spazmalgon, etc.) in any format will also help you get rid of it.
Menopause and menopause
After 50 years, menopause begins. This is a process when the involution of the reproductive system is added to the headache with a hormonal disorder. Involution is a decline in a woman's sexual function: the first stage of aging. Menopause itself is a very unpleasant phenomenon, has many negative symptoms. If the headache is very severe, it is advisable to consult a doctor for a detailed consultation. Most often, menopause occurs at 50, but there is also an early menopause - 35-40 years and late - 55-56 years.
Important! Doctors also advise during a headache in women during menopause, just lie down and relax a bit in peace and quiet. It's much better than taking medication
During menopause, many women report that the frequency of headaches decreases. This suggests that the hormonal background gradually began to return to normal. Headache in this case is a consequence of external sources: stress and irritation.
And so, we figured out what the female body constantly suffers from headaches or migraines. Briefly again:
Other causes of headaches in women
Now it has become more or less clear to you why women have a headache more often than men, and its cause is much more serious and deeper than that of the stronger sex. However, discomfort can be caused by many provoking factors. Including external ones that have a negative impact. We must not forget about infectious, viral diseases, especially during the cold season. A migraine can signal the onset of a disease.
In addition to hormonal disorders, a pain symptom can also cause various kinds of diseases:
- sinusitis, tonsillitis, otitis;
- meningitis;
- vascular disease, atherosclerosis, increased intracranial or ocular pressure;
- visual impairment, including glaucoma, incorrectly fitted contact lenses or glasses;
- taking certain medications;
- hypertension, etc.
All of these conditions and many others can lead to severe headaches that should not be ignored. In any case, if you feel an acute migraine that you cannot cope with on your own, immediately consult a doctor for prevention. This can be a symptom of so many modern diseases and indicate that a person has become ill. And, answering the eternal question: “Why does my head often hurt?”, - we can say that the unstable hormonal background is not always the cause of everything.
It is unlikely that there will be at least one person who would not experience such an unpleasant sensation as a headache in his entire life. In the modern rhythm of life, it occurs very often and, as ordinary inhabitants believe, it is “treated” with an ordinary analgin tablet. In fact, frequent headaches in women are not the disease itself, but only its symptom. Thus, our body signals us that a failure has occurred in one of its systems.
Many people consider periodic headaches that occur spontaneously and eventually pass as normal, and do not attach much importance to them. This position is fundamentally wrong, because if the body sends such signals, it means that it feels bad.
Expert opinion
Mitrukhanov Eduard Petrovich
Doctor - neurologist, city polyclinic, Moscow. Education: Russian State Medical University, Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Volgograd State Medical University, Volgograd.
Headache is an unpleasant pain sensation that occurs not in the nervous tissue of the brain itself, as is commonly believed, but in areas of the head and neck that are susceptible to irritating effects: muscles, nerves, arteries and veins, from the nerve endings of which, the signal is transmitted to the brain center pain. The causes of headaches in women can be various ailments.
Diseases that cause headaches
Pain in the head is a rather non-specific symptom that can occur with a variety of diseases.
Migraine
Disease of a neurological nature symptoms of which are headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and weakness. In the absence of help, the attack can last from 4 to 72 hours. Migraine is diagnosed by a neurologist if the patient has had at least 5 attacks accompanied by nausea, vomiting or photophobia.
Ask your question to a neurologist for free
Irina Martynova. Graduated from the Voronezh State Medical University. N.N. Burdenko. Clinical intern and neurologist of BUZ VO \"Moscow Polyclinic\".
Treatment is carried out with medication: analgesics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, receptor and calcium channel blockers are prescribed.
The nature of the pain
- episodic;
- Strong and painful;
- Pulsating;
- Local (in one part of the head).
Cervical osteochondrosis
Intervertebral disc disease cervical spine. Accompanied by dizziness, loss of visual acuity, nausea, vomiting, tingling in the region of the heart. Treatment is prescribed by a neuropathologist and consists of eliminating the pain syndrome by taking analgesics and stopping the inflammatory process in the affected part of the spine by taking chondroprotectors inside and warming ointments and gels externally.
The nature of the headache
- Acute;
- sharp;
- Mechanical (occurs during movement);
- pressing;
- Compressive.
Hypertension
Disease of the cardiovascular system, the characteristic symptoms of which are a sharp increase in blood pressure, headaches in the back of the head, redness of the skin, shortness of breath and ringing in the ears. It occurs more often in women who take hormonal drugs and are obese.
Expert opinion
Prikhodko Arkady Arkadievich
Rheumatologist - city polyclinic, Moscow. Education: FGBNU NIIR named after V.A. Nasonova, Astrakhan State Medical Academy.
When contacting the hospital, the cardiologist will prescribe non-drug treatment (diet and daily routine), as well as medication (antihypertensive drugs).
The nature of the pain
- Aching;
- Does not depend on the time of day;
- pressing;
- sharp;
- Localized on the back of the head and temples.
Meningitis
Inflammation of the membranes of the brain of the head or spinal column caused by viruses. It is manifested by fever, convulsions, headache and neck muscle tension. The diagnosis is made by an infectious disease specialist after examination of the cerebrospinal fluid.
Treatment is with antiviral drugs to kill the pathogen.
The nature of the pain
- Strong;
- Pressing on the eyeballs;
- long;
- Localized in the frontal region.
Glaucoma
An extensive group of eye diseases associated with an increase in intraocular pressure and, as a result, the development of visual defects, up to its loss. The attack is characterized by a headache in the back of the head, pain in the eye, weakness and nausea. Due to the similarity of symptoms of glaucoma with migraines, they are often confused. Examination for the disease is carried out by an ophthalmologist. Treatment is reduced to slowing down nerve damage, since it is impossible to completely prevent the disease at this stage in the development of medicine.
Laser methods and microsurgical interventions are often used.
The nature of the pain
- Pulsating;
- Dull;
- Aching;
- Intensive;
- Paroxysmal.
- Forms of headache
cluster headache
The pain syndrome occurs in slides (clusters), hence its name. Localized on one side of the face and accompanied by an ear tab, redness of the eye and increased sweating. The duration of the attack varies from 15 minutes to 1 hour, and there is such acute, unbearably severe pain that patients, in order to get rid of it, resort to suicide attempts.
A feature of such pain is the frequency of its occurrence: from 2-3 attacks per day for a week, to a sudden lull for months or even years.
Sinus
Caused by inflammation of the sinuses due to an allergic reaction or infection.
Sinuses are air-filled cavities of the skull, otherwise called sinuses.
Localized pain in the upper jaw and around the paranasal sinuses. It is deep, aching, long-lasting in character and sharply aggravated by movement.
Pain of tension
The most common type of headache, which most often does not indicate a pathological disease, but is only associated with prolonged muscle tension due to physical exertion, an uncomfortable posture during sleep, a long stay in one position at work, etc.
On a scale of pain, it is mild, tolerable, and usually spread over the entire head.
Cases in which you should immediately consult a doctor
When a headache occurs, few people will laugh for help from a specialist. Most prefer to engage in symptomatic self-treatment. Well, there is nothing wrong with this if it is, for example, the pain of tension, which will pass after a good sleep, but there are special signs that you should immediately go to the hospital if you find them:
If the headache is accompanied by:
- high temperature;
- convulsions;
- Numbness of the limbs;
- A state close to loss of consciousness.
And also, if the headache does not coexist with the above symptoms, but nevertheless interferes with your normal life and brings great discomfort for several days, during which you often resorted to painkillers.
How to relieve pain?
There are situations when, for whatever reason, it is not possible to consult a doctor. In this case, you should try to get rid of the headache yourself, but then, at the first opportunity, still contact a specialist.
Before resorting to the help of antispasmodics, try to perform a few simple manipulations with the help of folk remedies:
- Aromatherapy with lavender or mint oils;
- Cold compress of ice and towels;
- Warm compress;
- Ventilation of the room or access to fresh air;
- Healthy sleep;
- Strong tea or coffee;
- Lubrication of the temples and bridge of the nose with an "asterisk";
Herbs for headaches:
Infusions of anise, lingonberry, linden, motherwort, hawthorn, linden or valerian are good for spasms.
In addition, we strongly recommend that you watch the following video
- For 5 minutes, actively massage the area where the thumb meets the index finger;
- For a few minutes, massage the point above the bridge of the nose along the line of eyebrow growth;
- Rub your earlobes.
Crib
- Not only overwork and lack of proper rest cause a headache. Unpleasant sensations may be associated with the progression of diseases such as glaucoma, infectious and inflammatory processes of the meninges, sinusitis, otitis media.
- Osteochondrosis is the most common atypical cause of severe headache, the lack of treatment of which is fraught with the development of a stroke of blood vessels that feed the brain.
- Severe prolonged pain may accompany the tumor process, but only a comprehensive diagnosis will allow a correct diagnosis.
- Often manifested headache cannot be stopped with the help of analgesics. It is important to establish the root cause and act directly on it. Otherwise, only the symptom is removed, but the cause of discomfort is not eliminated.
- If the headache is accompanied by vomiting, nausea, short-term loss of consciousness, tinnitus, convulsions and high fever, you should immediately call an ambulance. This can manifest a number of life-threatening diseases that require immediate hospitalization and complex treatment.
- The choice of medication depends on what exactly caused the pain. There is no universal headache pill. In each specific situation, the appropriate drug is prescribed.
- An active lifestyle, physical education and proper nutrition are the prevention of headaches at any age. Self-medication is fraught with the development of a number of negative consequences, including the chronicization of the underlying disease.
Headache can be very multifaceted - aching, sharp, pressing. Sometimes this phenomenon is accompanied by nausea, sound and photophobia, tachycardia. We do not consider the problem worthy of special attention, preferring a painkiller pill to going to the doctor. However, the causes of frequent headaches in women can be systemic, that is, quite serious.
Causes of persistent headaches in women
Headache in women under 30 is rarely associated with hormonal processes. But after this date, many of us have to experience firsthand what the restructuring of the body is. Headaches and dizziness can appear as early as 10-15 years before menopause. It cannot be said that we are talking about strong pain sensations, but rather about tangible discomfort in the area of \u200b\u200bthe temples and superciliary arches. They can appear 1-2 times a week, and are also activated a few days before the onset of menstruation.
The most optimal solution to the problem is taking sedatives and traditional ones - Analgin, Paracetamol.
Also, frequent headaches occur in women prone to hypotension. Low pressure worsens the blood circulation of the brain, it begins to experience oxygen starvation. Hence the pain. This problem can be solved with the help of drinks that narrow the walls of blood vessels, or contain caffeine, but it is much more useful to deal with headaches of this origin through physical education. Increased physical activity, especially outdoors, significantly improves well-being. This is one of the easiest ways to check if the causes of headaches in women are due to hypotension. Men suffer from low blood pressure much less frequently.
Those who have constantly high blood pressure, such sensations are not familiar. Nevertheless, a sharp jump, a hypertensive crisis, is also accompanied by an acute headache. It has a pulsating, squeezing character and is a signal to immediately consult a doctor.
The main causes of severe headaches in women
cluster pain
The most severe headaches are cluster headaches. They are of histological origin and are almost untreatable. The attack usually lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours, the pain intensifies when lying down. Fortunately, this is a rather rare occurrence.
Migraine
Symptoms such as headache and nausea in women can be caused by a migraine attack. Not a single pill will help in this case - the only medicine is peace and quiet. There are other signs:
- cold hands and feet;
- pale skin, face;
- photosensitivity;
- irritation caused by sharp and loud sounds, sometimes by the sound of one's own voice;
- general weakness, apathy.
Since migraine is closely associated with vascular dystonia, many of the symptoms are characteristic of this condition.
Meningitis
Headache on a regular basis can occur due to a brain tumor, or inflammation of its lining - meningitis. In this case, additional symptoms should appear, such as the inability to put the chin on the chest. An accurate diagnosis will be carried out by a doctor.
Cold or flu
It also happens that the deterioration of health occurs as a result of viral and colds. Severe headaches are also caused by:
This is also the case with the flu. In this case, you need to treat the underlying disease, the headache will go away by itself.
Other reasons
Often it is not possible to determine the causes of a headache even after a detailed examination by different doctors. In this case, it can be assumed that pain is associated with long-standing injuries to the head, neck and spine, or general intoxication of the body. Try to remember all the injuries received, starting from childhood. Usually this is where the problem lies.
Frequent headaches in women is a serious problem. And it does not matter at all what a woman does: whether she is a big manager or just a housewife. In any case, this creates additional problems both for the woman herself and for the people around her.
The brain itself cannot get sick, blood vessels, nerves, muscles of the body hurt - everything that has special receptors. Pain is a consequence of a painful disorder of any human organ, and not the root cause in itself.
Types of headaches in women
By what causes pain, doctors divide them into two categories: primary and secondary headaches.
Primary
It is their independent and uncontrolled intake that can cause the risk of developing serious complications, in particular, exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Reception and dosage of medicines should be carried out according to the recommendation of a doctor. As an additional treatment procedure, the doctor may recommend sessions of electrophoresis, iontophoresis, or other options for physiotherapeutic effects on the body.
Pain prevention
Therefore, it is important for each person to learn to control their thoughts and actions in order to minimize stressful effects on the body:
- remain calm and friendly in any situation;
- do not think badly either about yourself or about others;
- exercise regularly;
- eat healthy and balanced food;
- get enough sleep, but avoid oversleeping and over-relaxation.
A more serious and thorough approach is associated with cognitive therapy, when psychologists teach a person to control their thoughts and actions and thereby remove negative factors that can cause a headache. Our life today is tense and restless, and we must try so that the inevitable changes in the mode of work, rest and communication do not cause diseases and headaches in particular.
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