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Prevention and treatment of headaches before menstruation

Almost every second woman is familiar with a term such as premenstrual syndrome, stress or just PMS. Some of the symptoms of this syndrome occur almost imperceptibly (mild irritability, slight discomfort in the lower abdomen or gain in weight of 1-2 kg), but the other PMS symptoms are so pronounced that a woman can't even go about their everyday business, completely lost the capacity for these few days. And symptoms that can bring the female body down a lot (in the medical literature describes more than 150 different syndromes that can occur PMS), but the heaviest, perhaps, a headache.

Premenstrual tension

Premenstrual syndrome is a complex syndrome of neuropsychiatric, vascular, endocrine and metabolic disorders that occur in the premenstrual days and ends with the beginning of menstrual bleeding. Many researchers believe PMS is a physiological norm of the female body, and argue that the treatment of this condition is not required. But, nevertheless, if the symptoms are to a considerable extent, no therapy is necessary.

Video about reasons for headaches:

Causes and types of headaches before menstruation

Cephalgic form of PMS not only is the most common violation, but one that leads to the loss of the health of women before menstruation. Many women don't even complain of a headache before your period starts, if it does not acquire the nature of migraine. In such cases, to tolerate the symptoms becomes very difficult and that requires both medical and non-pharmacological correction.

Migraine headache pain that includes PMS, referred to as menstrual migraine. It takes 50% of all migraines that occur in women. The development of such pain researchers associated with two main factors:

  • with a high concentration in the body of substances such as prostaglandins (formed in the endometrium of the uterus, where the fall in the systemic circulation), in the second phase of the menstrual cycle;
  • with the rapid decrease in the concentration of estrogen and progesterone hormones in the second part luteal phase of the cycle.

In the ICD 10 is provided having 2 forms of menstrual migraines:

  1. A real – episode

    Clinical signs of menstrual migraines

    Menstrual migraine is a little different. Usually, the headaches are stronger and last longer (on average 72 hours), the attacks happen more often in some women – each cycle), almost never of an aura before the migraine. Also such a headache worse bespecial and non-specific treatment. Migraine is the cause of soreness of the whole body, fatigue.

    A characteristic feature of menstrual migraine is that it takes place during pregnancy. But some women can remain up to the end of the first trimester of pregnancy – the period of complete formation of the placenta and the elimination of progesteronethe deficit, if such there were.

    Headache has a different duration from 4 to 72 hours, if not taken measures to eliminate the pain. The nature of the headache following. She throbbing, often one-sided localization, its strength comes from the average to high according to the visual analogue pain scale (VAS). The pain worsens after any physical activity, even normal walking. In parallel, it is possible to observe even nausea or the urge to vomiting, increased sensitivity to external stimuli (light, sound).

    To diagnose menstrual migraine, you need to answer 3 questions:

    1. Are you worried about the pain in your head that has a connection with menstruation, which develop in time period 2 days before to 3 days after the onset of bleeding for 2 of the 3 cycles?
    2. Headache associated with menses is stronger than other types, which do you have?
    3. Is there headache associated with menstruation, increased sensitivity to external stimuli?

    The diagnosis can be considered valid if a positive answer to the first question and any of the next two.

    Treatment of headache before menstruation

    Therapy of headaches associated with menstruation include as medical methods of correction and non-drug activities, and in some cases the latter can even become an alternative to taking pills. Treatment time divided into 2 periods – relief of an attack and its prevention.

    The relief of an attack

    If you suffer from menstrual migraine, remember that it is necessary, as the early relief of headache. With every minute the pain will only increase, and the behavior you will tolerate self-will, because drugs are harmful” is inappropriate in this case and will play with you a malicious joke.

    To eliminate migraine used drugs of several groups:

    • nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or narcotic analgesics – acetylsalicylic acid (1000 mg per day),

      Prevention of menstrual headaches

      It is much easier to prevent some kind of disease or illness than later to be treated. This statement applies to menstrual migraines. Sometimes drug prevention is not enough to cope with pathology. In such casesit is necessary to complement non-drug treatment prevention. Perhaps in the future thanks to the simple recommendations for behavior and lifestyle even you will be able to abandon a very “not harmless” pills against headache before menstruation.

      Basic preventive measures:

      • rational distribution of work a day with alternating active and rest periods;
      • adherence to the sleep mode;
      • to avoid stressful situations, physical and mental over-voltage;
      • to eliminate from your diet triggers your migraines – chocolate, alcohol, nuts, too salty foods;
      • to enrich the menu with fresh vegetables and fruits, seafood, dried fruits;
      • to get rid of bad habits (especially Smoking, which increases the risk of stroke in patients who use COCS);
      • maintain normal body weight (if you are overweight, try to lose them);
      • regular exercise;
      • walks in the fresh air.

      As you can see, there is nothing extraordinary in preventive recommendations. They correspond to a proper and healthy lifestyle and will help not only to get rid of a headache, but also to stay healthy, beautiful and active woman for many years.