What causes headaches after menstruation?

Women have menstruation every month. Menstruation can help women regulate their internal bodies, promote metabolism, and ensure the health of their bodies. However, some women report that they experience headaches after their menstruation, and in severe cases, they may need to use painkillers to suppress the symptoms for a short period of time. So, why do women suffer from headaches after their menstruation?

1. What is menstrual headache?

Clinically, the headache that women experience before, during, and after menstruation is called menstrual headache. Among headache patients, women are significantly more than men, accounting for about 70% of all headache patients. Clinical studies have shown that this is related to physiological factors unique to women - 63% of women's headaches are closely related to menstruation. Women's headaches occur not only during menstruation, but also at other times.

2. Causes of menstrual headaches

Clinical studies have shown that menstrual headaches may be related to changes in serum levels of estradiol (a female hormone). Due to the physiological characteristics of women, the concentration of estradiol in serum decreases before and after menstruation, causing intracranial and extracranial blood vessels and uterine blood vessels to be more sensitive to certain factors such as serotonin and other substances, thereby causing changes in vascular tension and causing headaches in some patients who are sensitive to this. After menstruation, the concentration of estradiol in serum returns to normal and the patient's headaches can also be relieved. There is another possibility that estrogen (including estradiol) can stimulate the secretion of prolactin, thereby directly or indirectly stimulating the secretion of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins act on blood vessels, causing vascular contraction and dilation. This change also shows cyclical changes due to the influence of estrogen, thereby triggering headache attacks.

3. Daily measures to relieve menstrual headaches

1. Hot compress

Soak your hands in a basin of hot water and apply a hot towel to your head for 30 minutes each time.

2. Take a walk outdoors

It can regulate emotions and relieve stress.

3. Massage

Constantly combing your scalp with a pointed comb can improve blood supply to the brain.

4. Drinking sweet drinks

Because sugar can quickly increase the body's blood sugar content, and drinking water can increase the body's blood furnace and improve brain defects. So, when you have a headache during your period, you might as well give yourself a sweet drink. [3]

5. Diet

Diet therapy mainly involves drinking sweet drinks, because sugar can quickly increase the body's blood sugar content, while drinking water can increase the body's blood volume and improve brain ischemia. So, when you have a headache during your period, you might as well give yourself a glass of sweet milk or juice.