Why do I have a headache when I have my period?

Among headache patients, there are significantly more women than men, accounting for about 70% of all headache patients, which is also related to the unique body structure of women. Headache symptoms are most obvious during menstruation, which is also called menstrual headache in medicine. Severe menstrual headaches may cause nausea and vomiting, and headaches may also be accompanied by neurological and mental disorders. Endocrine disorders during menstruation are one of the important causes of menstrual headaches in most women, which will be analyzed in detail below.

Some women first experience a throbbing headache before their period, which starts above the left or right eye. It may also start from the back of the head and then extend to the entire side of the head. It feels like bugs are crawling in the brain, or like the head is about to explode. Especially the headache caused by irregular menstruation is more painful and unbearable. It should be noted that premenstrual headaches should be distinguished from cold headaches before and after menstruation. Cold headaches are usually accompanied by symptoms such as fever, chills, nasal congestion, body pain, etc., and they are not cyclical. Premenstrual headaches are cyclical headaches. The main causes of premenstrual headaches in women are the following three.

1. Headache caused by liver qi stagnation and qi and blood deficiency

According to traditional Chinese medicine, pre-menstrual headaches are mostly caused by liver qi stagnation and qi and blood deficiency. The head is the meeting point of all yang, but only the Jueyin liver meridian can reach the top of the head. Women are based on blood and use Qi. The liver stores blood and is responsible for regulating Qi. If Qi and blood flow smoothly, menstruation will come on time. If the liver Qi is not smooth, Qi is depressed and blood is stagnant, blood stasis will occur inside the body, resulting in less menstrual volume or even inability to menstruate on time, and stagnation of menstrual Qi. Therefore, the meridians are disturbed and the clear orifices are caused, resulting in headaches.

2. Vascular headache

Some women experience vascular headaches before menstruation. This is because one of the female hormones is called follicle-stimulating hormone, which can regulate the tension of blood vessels. When menstruation is about to come, the secretion of female hormones decreases sharply, causing female blood vessels to be in an unstable state, thus causing headaches.

2. Headaches caused by imbalance of estrogen and progesterone ratio

When the estrogen level in a woman's blood drops to a certain level, it can also cause headaches. Moreover, the estrogen level fluctuates with the menstrual cycle, which causes many women to experience periodic headaches.

Precautions

First, we need to find out the cause of menstrual headaches, and then provide targeted treatment. If the headaches are caused by liver qi stagnation or qi and blood deficiency in women, the treatment should start with the liver, soothe the liver and relieve depression. Xiaoyao San can be used. Use Bupleurum to soothe the liver and regulate qi, use Angelica and White Peony to nourish and soften the liver, use Atractylodes and Poria to nourish the earth and suppress wood, warming but not dry. If liver depression turns into heat, add some moutan bark and gardenia; if the patient has severe blood stasis, add some salvia miltiorrhiza and motherwort. If the patient also has irregular menstruation, he or she also needs to regulate menstruation.

For women with vascular headaches, it is important to develop good living habits and avoid excessive fatigue and mental stress. About 10 days before menstruation, you should limit your salt and water intake and eat a lighter diet. If the headache is obvious, you can take Chinese medicine for treatment: such as Zhengtian Pills, which can treat neuralgia, tension headaches and premenstrual headaches. Alternatively, taking Xiaoyao Pills and Xiaoyao Granules are very effective in treating this disease. The treatment of premenstrual headaches is effective only if targeted treatment is carried out based on the patient's cause and combined with the individual's own situation.