Headache in menopause: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

When a woman enters menopause, she notes the emergence of symptoms. These symptoms are associated with impaired functioning of various organs due to this hormonal imbalance. One of the most common symptoms are headaches.

Headache and menopause

During menopause a woman's life, a number of changes. At this stage, many representatives of the concerned various ailments that are associated with hormonal changes.

Menopause literally means the extinction of hormonal function. In fact, the climax only covers the functioning of the ovaries. Gradually reduces the production of sex hormones. Over time, the synthesis of hormones stops. These changes affect the entire body, as the hormones produced by the ovaries, ensure the functioning of organs and systems.

One of the most important hormones for the body functioning women professionals called estrogens. It is noteworthy that estrogens have the ability to samoprevrascheniyu tissue. For example, estradiol can be converted into estrone and vice versa.

Estrogens are necessary not only for the functioning of the reproductive system. It is noted that estrogens:

• controlled delivery and absorption of calcium in the bones;
• regulate metabolism and temperature regulation;
• ensure the functioning of the cardiovascular, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, gastrointestinal tract.

Estrogens affect the skin and mucous membranes, cervical fluid, the elasticity of the vascular wall. With the onset of menopause all body structures begin to work with the increased load, which often leads to pain in the joints, the head, spine and heart.

Menopause is a long multi-stage process. The progression of menopause for several years it is necessary to adapt the organism. It was found a female body needs 8-10 years to adapt to functioning without the hormones produced by the ovaries.

Climax involves several steps:

• the first 4-5 years until the termination of menses - premenopausal;
• last month, and the next year - the menopause;
• year after menopause and up to age 69 years - postmenopause.

Many women do not notice the beginning of the pre-menopausal. During this period, there are the first symptoms of hormonal dysfunction. In particular, the disturbed menstrual cycle:

• lengthened or shortened duration;
• there are abundant or meager selection.

It is considered that healthy women can easily tolerate hormonal changes due to compensatory capacities of the body. Representatives who have different somatic pathology can celebrate quite severe symptoms. As a rule, pre-menopausal women concerned about hot flushes, pressure surges, dizziness and headaches.

In premenopausal partially retained reproductive function. Despite the changes in the cycle, a woman has menstruation and ovulation are sometimes observed. That is why pre-menopausal women, as well as in the reproductive cycle, contraception is needed.

Menopause is set one year after the menstrual period in the absence of any bleeding during the year. This is the brief stage of the menopause. Usually in this phase there has been increasing symptoms, for example, urogenital disorders and headaches.

Postmenopause begins after menopause and lasts until old age, that is, up to 69 years. In postmenopausal women without functioning organism synthesized ovarian hormones causing various manifestations. However, a small part of the hormones the body produces and has vnezhelezistoe origin. In particular, the synthesis of estrogens carries adipose tissue. Severe symptoms occur when the body's inability to adapt to new conditions. Women often notice the occurrence of headaches, increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease.

pregnancy menopausal and postmenopausal women is impossible, because the cycles of menstruation and ovulation are not available.

Often during menopause women complain about it to the headaches, which have both physiological and psychological reasons. Headache significantly impairs the quality of life of women adversely affects the performance and causes of sleep disorders.

Causes

It is known that headache is not an independent disease. This is a symptom that points to a variety of diseases in the body. In fact, the causes of headaches are many. For women in menopause headaches are often caused by a reduction in the production of sex hormones, which adversely affects the nervous system, musculoskeletal system.

Headaches can have both physiological and psychological. Pain physiological plan are due to the following reasons.

1. Changes in the cardiovascular system. Hormonal imbalance affects the tone of vascular walls and to provoke their spasm. In turn, cause hypertension, vasospasm, increased intraocular pressure and intracranial. The increase in pressure is accompanied by headache.
2. Disorders of the nervous system. Headache patency leads to disruption of nerve fibers, which prevents the passage of pulses. Aggravate the situation mood swings, depression.
3. Disturbances in the locomotor system. As a result of estrogen deficiency, calcium and phosphorus are not absorbed in the bone tissue, which leads to degenerative changes. Develop joint and spine diseases. When cervical osteochondrosis in women in menopause often headaches.
4. Pathology of the trigeminal nerve. At the climax of representatives in sickness symptoms may be caused by diseases of the trigeminal nerve. Headache occurs due to nerve inflammation, its compression due to tumors of the area of ​​the paranasal sinuses. If the pathology is inflammatory nature, headache often monotonous, attacks can occur within a few days. When nerve compression headache is shooting in nature. Bouts of short-term and can be repeated many times.

Often headaches are psychosomatic in nature. It is well known that women in menopause emotional background is unstable. Irritability, constant anxiety, chronic stress, adversely affect the nervous system, causing symptoms of malaise.

Pain arising from psychological causes, called psychogenic pain.

Women often have a headache due to the mental and physical fatigue, poor night's sleep.

The factors of headaches include:

• unfavorable heredity;
• abuse of nicotine, alcohol;
• improper diet;
• violation of the day;
• low physical activity.

To the doctor should contact immediately in the following cases:

• sudden sharp headaches that occur when sneezing, coughing;
• concomitant disturbance of consciousness, impaired concentration, memory, coordination, sensory loss, tinnitus, blurred vision, loss of taste, smell.

symptoms

It is noteworthy that the headaches during menopause is different. Headache in menopause is somewhat different from the usual symptom.

Identify the following features of headache in women in menopause.

1. Often the headache occurs suddenly. It can be located initially in the area of ​​the temple, and gradually cover the frontal part. However, the localization of headache as a whole has an individual character.
2. Headaches may experience stress facial and neck muscles. Hypertonus usually increases pain and changes facial expressions. That is why often in women of menopausal age sullen expression.
3. The headache may be accompanied by a darkening of the eyes, in the neck tension, a feeling of a lump in the throat, shortness of breath and dry mouth.
4. If the headache is intense, talk about the development of migraine. This is a strong throbbing headache that is localized mainly in the specific area.

It is noteworthy that the nature of the headaches can vary. Pains are short-term and long-term, pressing, shooting, aching.

Headaches often accompanied by hot flashes, accompanied by chills or fever, redness of the face and upper torso. If the tides are heavy in nature, headaches also become more pronounced.

Headache is a frequent companion hypertension, manifested resistant pressure rise.

Methods of treatment

For correction of headaches using a set of different measures, which include medication treatment, traditional medicine, nutrition, respect for work and rest, physical activity. Of considerable importance is the normalization of the emotional background and the elimination of the factors causing stress.

of drugs

Reduce the severity of menopause and improve the quality of life can be using drugs hormone replacement therapy. Nevertheless, these drugs are effective in pre-menopausal period.

The composition of drugs hormone replacement therapy include synthetic analogs of female sex hormones that normalize hormones. Hormone replacement therapy can significantly alleviate the condition of the patient and remove chronic headaches.

Preparations are typically composed of estradiol valerate, which relieves vasomotor disorders of character:

• headache;
• hot flashes;
• sleep disorders;
• depression;
• mood lability;
• dizziness;
• nervousness and irritability.

Gynecologists usually prescribe the following drugs:

• Klimov;
• proginova;
• Divina.

Hormonal drugs have several contraindications, e.g., malignant tumors. Furthermore, the use of hormonal agents is often accompanied by multiple side effects. That is why this group of drugs is often replaced by phytoestrogens.

For the treatment of head pain that occurs on a background of high blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs are used. Prescriptions in each case is competent physician.

With prolonged stress, accompanied by headache, recommend acceptance of Amitriptyline or other antidepressants. Treatment is usually long.

To eliminate headaches during menopause as prescribers of the following groups:

• muscle relaxants;
• anticonvulsants;
• serotonin antagonists;
• NSAIDs.

Phytoestrogens and folk remedies

When treating sickness symptoms during menopause are widely used phytoestrogens. Unlike synthetic hormones phytoestrogens affect the body softly and rarely cause side effects.

Phytoestrogens are prescribed to treat headaches of various etiologies. These funds are considered to be completely safe, even after prolonged use. Among the most effective means experts call:

• Estrovel;
• Klimadinon;
• Feminal;
• Klimaktoplan;
• Remens.

A good effect possesses vitamin complex Menopace.

To eliminate the painful symptoms You can use the herbs:

• sage;
• St. John's wort;
• nettles;
• raspberry leaves.

It is useful to drink tea from rose hips, cranberries and cranberries.

To eliminate the nervous strain symptoms, doctors recommend taking warm baths with the addition of pine extract, peppermint, broth valerian and hops, as well as essential oils such as bergamot and melissa.

nontraditional methods

In recent years, very popular unconventional therapies. Among the most popular and effective methods of experts called reflexology and hirudotherapy. These ancient tactics have a positive effect on the body, including in the climax. The choice of treatment and its duration carries a doctor.

preventive measures

Of considerable importance is the prevention, which includes various aspects:

• food;
• Adherence;
• physical activity;
• elimination of stress provoking factors.

Adherence and diet

Choose a diet depends on the reason that caused the sickness symptoms. Nevertheless, physicians are advised to eliminate from the diet smoked, dried and salted dishes. Not recommended intake in food and semi-finished products containing preservatives, flavor enhancers and stabilizers.

In your diet should include fresh vegetables, fruits, dietary meat and sea fish, cereals. Food should be steamed, stewed, boiled or baked. Fatty food is necessary to limit as far as possible.

Drinking regime also affects health. Experts recommend drinking at least two liters of clean water per day.

It is known that dietary habits cause health. For example, foods with long intervals techniques can trigger attacks. In this connection it should be to eat a fractional, five times a day. Last light meal should be a few hours before bedtime.

Since the attacks often occur due to fatigue and lack of full sleep, should pay attention to work and rest. While working, you need to regularly take a break for a snack, rest and low physical activity.

Physical activity

Adequate physical activity is the prevention of stagnation, cardiovascular pathologies and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. It is necessary to seriously approach the choice of exercise complex. In some pathologies, certain types of exercise may be contraindicated. In particular, the presence of benign tumors of the uterus can not carry out exercises on a strained lower abdominal muscle. The slopes of the head can trigger another attack.

For the prevention and elimination of ailments, experts advise to swim, take a walk in the usual pace, perform push-ups.