How Can I Prevent Menstrual Migraines?: Migraines that occur right around the same time as a menstrual period are called menstrual migraines or "hormone headaches." Some women can prevent menstrual migraines by taking certain medications 5-7 days before their menstrual period starts, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), estrogen supplementation, triptans, and magnesium.

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CAM for Migraine and Cluster Headaches

Migraine headaches are intense, recurring headaches that are sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting and other symptoms. Alternative therapies that have proven successful for some include: spinal manipulation, acupuncture, and homeopathy. It is important to do research on the practitioner and make sure alternative therapies don't do harm.
Can Migraines Cause Fever and Chills

A migraine headache causes symptoms such as severe head pain and sensitivity to light, sound, or smells. Migraines do not, however, cause a fever or chills. Fever and chills may be red flags of another condition if accompanied by other signs such as night sweats, weight loss, or a sudden "thunderclap" headache. If these symptoms occur, you should see a doctor immediately.
Can Stress and Anxiety Cause Migraines

The cause of migraines is unknown, but it is possibly caused by genetics and environment. Stress and anxiety are common migraine triggers. Other triggers include anger, poor sleep, hunger/skipping meals, exposure to smoke, bright lights, certain smells, fatigue, caffeine withdrawal.
Common Migraine Symptoms

Migraine symptoms include pulsating, throbbing, or pounding pain on the sides or front of the head, visual disturbances (blurring of vision, flashing lights, seeing “stars”), and sensitivity to light and/or sound. For some people, an aura is an early warning sign of an impending migraine.
Does Weight Gain Increase Estrogen

Adipose tissue (fat) can contribute to an increase in estrogens in the body. Fatty tissue contains estrogen precursors, which can be converted to estrogens. When you gain weight in the form of fat, this can increase estrogen.
Headache vs. Migraine: How To Tell the Difference

Migraine is one of over 150 types of headaches. Other common types of headaches include tension, cluster, sinus, and hormonal. Pain is the most common symptom of all headaches, and the severity of the pain depends upon the type of headache. Migraine pain is severe, pulsating, and is located only on one side of the head. Other symptoms and signs of a migraine headache are eye pain, sensitivity to light, sounds, or smells, nausea, and vomiting. Migraine is more common in women, and may increase in frequency and severity during menopause.Signs and symptoms of other common types of headaches. Tension headaches: The pain of a tension headache starts at the back of the head and upper neck. The pain is described as a band-like tightness or pressure on both sides of the head that may spread over the entire head. The pain and pressure is felt over the eyebrows, is sporadic, and usually varies in intensity. Tension headaches are not disabling. Cluster headaches come in groups or clusters that are separated by pain free periods of months to years. The episodes of pain last from 30 to 90 minutes, occur around the same time of day, and the pain is excruciating around or behind one eye. Men have cluster headaches more often than women. Sinus headaches are caused by bacteria or viral infection of the sinuses. The infection causes inflammation of the sinuses, which results in pain. The pain and pressure from a sinus headache is felt around the area of the sinuses. Other symptoms are facial tenderness and swelling, nasal congestion, stuffy nose, earache, and jaw pain. Sinus headaches usually are caused by sinusitis or a sinus infection. Hormonal headaches are caused by hormonal fluctuations in the body and can be caused by hormonal birth control, menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause. The pain and symptoms depend upon the cause of the headache. There is no specific test to diagnose migraines. Treatment for a migraine and other types of headaches depend upon the type.REFERENCES: Blanda, M, MD. "Cluster Headache." Medscape. Updated: Apr 26, 2017. Brook I, MD. "Acute Sinuitis." Medscape. Updated: Jan 05, 2017. Chawala JC, MD. "Migraine Headache." Medscape. Updated: May 10, 2017.
How Long Do Menopause Symptoms Last

Menopause (when menstrual periods end) is preceded by a transitional period of an average of four years called perimenopause, when menopausal symptoms begin, such as hot flashes, missed periods, or periods coming less or more often.
How Long Do Side Effects Botox for Migraines Last

OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) is a treatment used to treat chronic migraines in adults, which is injected around the head and neck to prevent migraines. The most common side effect of Botox for migraines is neck soreness and pain. Most side effects only last a few days.
Menstrual Pain

Menstrual cramps are either classified as primary or secondary dysmenorrhea. Secondary dysmenorrhea refers to menstrual cramps caused by another medical condition or disease, for example: Endometriosis IUDs (intrauterine devices) Narrow cervix Infections Stress Treatments to ease and get rid of menstrual cramps include natural and home remedies; OTC pain medications, and birth control pills.
Migraine and Cluster Headache Medications

Migraines and cluster headaches are severe recurrent headaches. Medications to treat them fall under a number of different categories. These include triptans and ergot alkaloids for abortive therapy. For preventative therapy, a number of different drug classes are available, including beta blockers, predisone, antidepressants, lithium, antiseizure medications and others.
Causes and Treatments of Migraine Headaches

Two general types of headaches exist: primary (like migraines and cluster headaches) and secondary (headaches caused by a structural problem, trauma, or infection) Triggers include stress, lack of sleep, not enough food or fluids, and many other causes. A variety of medications all working through a variety of different mechanisms are used to treat migraines.
Migraine Headache

Migraine headaches are one of the most common problems seen by doctors, Urgent Care Centers, and Emergency Departments. While the exact cause of this type of headache is not clearly understood, researchers and doctors believe they are due to changes in the brain and surrounding blood vessels.Triggers for migraine headache are certain foods (chocolate, cheese, alcohol, msg, etc.), stress, birth control pills, and smoking.Signs and symptoms of a migraine include a variety of warning signs (referred to as “prodome”), for example, feeling "high," irritable, or depressed, migraine aura, headache pain, and migraine pain that resolves. Other migraine symptoms, for example, problems eating, concentrating, and fatigue may linger after the pain is gone.
Migraine Headache FAQs

The difference between headache and migraine often includes intense pain, sensitivity to light, sound and smells, and nausea and vomiting for migraine headache. Migraines last from 4 hours to 3 days and may be preceded by pre-migraine symptoms like auras. The exact cause of migraines is unclear, but numerous triggers can precipitate a migraine attack. Migraines may be managed and/or prevented by a combination of medication and avoiding triggers.
Migraine Headache in Children

Migraine is a headache condition that comes back again and again. Ten percent of children get migraines, and an even higher percentage of teenagers have them. Migraines can be managed with a number of different varieties of medications.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). PMDD is believed to be caused by the complex interactions of hormones produced by the ovaries during a woman's the menstrual cycle. PMDD symptoms include fatigue, mood changes, breast tenderness, hot flashes, irritability, and more. Treatment for PMDD typically involves medication and dietary supplements.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) occurs during the first two weeks before a woman begins her menstrual cycle. Symptoms of PMS include: mood changes, behavioral changes, changes in physical functions; like headache, palpitations, bloating, breast tenderness, constipation, weight gain, fatigue, and diarrhea. Treatment for PMS include lifestyle changes and OTC or prescription medication.
Migraine Headaches, Vision Effects

Migraines are severe, recurrent headaches that usually affect one side of the head. Many times, symptoms include visual affects like auras or scotomas (a blank patch in the field of vision). Treatment for visual effects of migraines includes a number of drugs used to treat a migraine as a whole, as well as adequate sleep and exercise.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of a Migraine Fast

The best way to relieve a migraine is to try to stop a migraine attack before it happens. As soon as you feel a migraine coming on, you should try home remedies such as ice, heat, breathing techniques, getting fresh air, staying hydrated, and getting to a darkened room to avoid light (a migraine trigger).
What Are the Benefits of Taking Estrogen

Estrogen therapy, with or without a progestogen (progesterone and progestin), is a type of hormone replacement therapy prescribed to replace estrogen the body is no longer making. It's used to treat symptoms of menopause in women and slow progression of osteoporosis, among other women's conditions.
What Causes Migraines

Researchers assume migraine occurs because of an imbalance in the level of neurotransmitters in the brain. The resulting imbalance causes the nerve cells to undergo changes responsible for headaches. The trigeminal nerve (the fifth cranial nerve) may also be involved in these pain mechanisms.
What Causes Ocular Migraines

Ocular migraines are a type of migraine that causes vision changes such as small blind spots, vision loss, flashes of light, zig-zag lines, or seeing stars. The cause of ocular migraines is unknown, but may be caused by abnormal brain activity. Risk factors include genetics and hormones.
What Causes Tonic Seizures

Seizures are caused by a sudden surge of abnormal electrical activity in the brain, which can be due to many different conditions. Common triggers for tonic seizures may include stress, lack of sleep, waking up, missed medications, drinking alcohol/alcohol withdrawal, some medications, illegal drug use, menstrual cycle or other hormonal changes, and others.
What Triggers an Ocular Migraine

Harsh lighting, long screen time, other visual strain, stress, dehydration, food additives, and other causes all may trigger an ocular migraine, a subtype that focuses in the eye and causes vision changes.

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Headache vs. Migraine: How to Tell the Difference

Migraine is one of over 150 types of headaches. Other common types of headaches include tension, cluster, sinus, and hormonal. Pain is the most common symptom of all headaches, and the severity of the pain depends upon the type of headache. Migraine pain is severe, pulsating, and is located only on one side of the head. Other symptoms and signs of a migraine headache are eye pain, sensitivity to light, sounds, or smells, nausea, and vomiting. Migraine is more common in women, and may increase in frequency and severity during menopause.

Signs and symptoms of other common types of headaches.

Tension headaches: The pain of a tension headache starts at the back of the head and upper neck. The pain is described as a band-like tightness or pressure on both sides of the head that may spread over the entire head. The pain and pressure is felt over the eyebrows, is sporadic, and usually varies in intensity. Tension headaches are not disabling.
Cluster headaches come in groups or clusters that are separated by pain free periods of months to years. The episodes of pain last from 30 to 90 minutes, occur around the same time of day, and the pain is excruciating around or behind one eye. Men have cluster headaches more often than women.
Sinus headaches are caused by bacteria or viral infection of the sinuses. The infection causes inflammation of the sinuses, which results in pain. The pain and pressure from a sinus headache is felt around the area of the sinuses. Other symptoms are facial tenderness and swelling, nasal congestion, stuffy nose, earache, and jaw pain. Sinus headaches usually are caused by sinusitis or a sinus infection.
Hormonal headaches are caused by hormonal fluctuations in the body and can be caused by hormonal birth control, menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause. The pain and symptoms depend upon the cause of the headache.

There is no specific test to diagnose migraines. Treatment for a migraine and other types of headaches depend upon the type.

REFERENCES:

Blanda, M, MD. "Cluster Headache." Medscape. Updated: Apr 26, 2017.

Brook I, MD. "Acute Sinuitis." Medscape. Updated: Jan 05, 2017.

Chawala JC, MD. "Migraine Headache." Medscape. Updated: May 10, 2017.