With the onset of the climatic period, the life of every woman undergoes many changes. Moreover, their character, as a rule, is purely negative. An extensive set of ailments is associated with a massive restructuring of the hormonal background, combined with the inevitable extinction of the reproductive system. Menopause headaches are one of the most common symptoms at this stage in a woman's life. Excessively strong and frequent discomfort in the cranial zone interferes with daily activities, taking away all the strength and exhausting the body's energy reserves.
Features of the period
Change in the mode of functioning and restructuring of a number of systems usually begin in women upon reaching the age of forty-five, but in exceptional cases, menopause occurs after thirty years. First of all, there is a complete stop in the production of new eggs, and menstruation completely disappears.
Such symptoms are most often perceived by a woman assome serious illness. Nevertheless, official medicine has exactly the opposite opinion on this matter. Doctors believe that menopause is not some kind of ailment, but simply one of the mandatory life stages for the fair sex. But at the same time, you should not humbly endure uncomfortable sensations. The treatment of headaches in menopause today is well established and in any case brings results after intervention in this age process.
Main causes of occurrence
Usually you need to wait until the menopause period is completely over. Changes in the body will end only with the complete extinction of ovarian function. It can be said that pain and discomfort are to some extent normal side effects of menopause.
Experts have compiled a list of the top causes of negative menopause symptoms. This list includes the eight most common options below.
- Use of any hormonal drugs, as well as combined oral contraceptives.
- Keeping a generally unhe althy lifestyle. Includes smoking, drug addiction, alcoholism and overeating (malnutrition).
- Chronic diseases and pathologies of a psychoneurological nature that can sharply worsen during menopause.
- Having a genetic predisposition. When complaining of headaches during menopause in women, such a nuance must be clarified during the initial collection of anamnesis.
- Eating too oftenharmful and low-quality food, low culture of the process of eating, as well as the lack of a more or less stable daily routine.
- Reduced amount of estrogen in the body. Such a factor is determined by the occurrence of certain processes during menopause. Because of this, the walls of blood vessels lose their former level of elasticity, and during hot flashes, their sharp narrowing and expansion are observed.
- Changed muscle and bone structure appears due to low production of collagen, because the body has not enough estrogen. In addition to a severe headache with menopause, noticeable posture disorders can be noted, as well as increased tension in the neck and spinal muscles. All these factors are considered interrelated.
- Unstable state of mind and emotional background. High neurotic activity causes, in turn, depressive moods, thereby worsening the state of he alth even more.
If any of the above factors are present, it is likely that pain relief with standard pain medications without treating the causes of ailments is unlikely to succeed.
Symptomatics and features of the condition
It is important to separate those symptoms that are most likely caused precisely by the restructuring of the body during menopause from others, often indicating the development of some other pathologies. The combination of several nuances of malaise should immediately indicate the presence of a serious problem, which is best to deal with.specialized examination.
Menopausal headache symptoms may include the following variations:
- a sharp and often sudden onset of discomfort from localization in the temples, which gradually flows over the entire surface of the forehead;
- a rapidly developing increase in irritability, a feeling of tension in the cervical and shoulder regions, as well as a face distorted with a painful grimace;
- perceptible bursting in the frontal region with the possible appearance of a strong burning sensation;
- cramping or pulsating nature of the pain syndrome with probable acute attacks, literally “cutting” the head, as well as the development of such uncomfortable sensations into migraines;
- darkening in the eyes, combined with a strong heaviness in the occipital area;
- unbearable pain in the temples, causing nausea and vomiting;
- the appearance of a feeling of overwhelming fear with no apparent reason for panic, as well as the appearance of a persistent "coma" in the throat;
- at times the pain is not too severe, but permanent and debilitating in nature.
Associated symptoms
In addition to the main characteristic features, a woman during menopause is often accompanied by some additional ones. They are listed below.
- Partial disruption of the genitourinary system. Expressed as urging to go to the toilet too often.
- Emotional instability, constant mood swings and permanent irritability. Datasymptoms are secondary signs of the climacteric state of the body. Usually accompanied by the appearance of unreasonable panic and anxious thoughts. Due to the strong excitability, it is difficult to maintain a normal sleep and wakefulness pattern.
- Flushing during menopause and headache are directly related to each other. Such a state is characterized by a sharp change in sensations throughout the body - from unbearable heat to icy cold. All this is certainly accompanied by pain in the head.
- Differences in blood pressure are also characteristic of menopause. The reasons for this phenomenon lie in the instability of the state of the whole organism due to its continuous and intensive restructuring. In turn, sharp jumps in blood pressure cause those same headaches and other uncomfortable sensations in the body.
Associated symptoms can be easily mitigated or completely nullified with timely medical therapy.
Symptoms of other diseases
Sometimes women take signs of any pathologies that are not related to the menopause period for granted, and wait for them to pass along with everyone else. However, without taking proper measures, such a decision can not only worsen the condition of life, but also harm in a certain way.
The list of symptoms that a woman needs to urgently go to the hospital to stabilize the body and prevent further damage includes the following:
- complete or partial loss of olfactory and gustatory sensations;
- any manifestations associated with deterioration of the visual apparatus;
- complete or partial loss of sensation in one or several limbs;
- head noises of any unknown origin combined with loss of coordination;
- severe ringing in the ears, the source of which cannot be identified.
If one or more of these signs are found along with headaches during menopause, then immediate medical attention will be the best solution to the situation.
How specialists treat
The problem lies primarily in the fact that ordinary antispasmodics do not cope with the symptoms of ailments during menopause. This happens for one simple reason: the action of this group of drugs does not have any effect on the essence of such a condition, that is, on the hormonal changes in a woman's body. Treatment of headaches in menopause begins with a trip to the doctor, who, based on anamnesis and tests, will be able to choose the optimal composition of funds to regulate and restore balance.
Hormonal failures are amenable to correction, and it will most likely be necessary to take drugs exactly until the menopause period has passed, and the body will not be able to stabilize its condition on its own. Even if a woman’s headaches become too severe during menopause, in no case should the prescribed dosage be changed up or down, because this action is oftenleads to an even more pronounced deterioration in overall well-being.
Medicated treatment
In this option, a simple and strict adherence to the recommendations of specialists and the purchase of all prescribed drugs at the pharmacy will suffice. Considering that ailments are always associated in such a situation with a violation of the hormonal background, doctors without fail prescribe remedies aimed at correcting this problem. Treatment of the root cause of headaches in menopause shows the greatest effectiveness. Most often, the courses "Svestin", "Proginova" or "Divigel" are prescribed. In addition, funds like Norkolut, Divina, Angelica and Femoston can be prescribed. The latter include androgens, progesterones and estrogens necessary for the body of a woman during menopause.
There is also another drug that has received many positive reviews. Headaches during menopause were relieved by the drug "Ovestin", which acted as a regulator of the activity of the hormone estrogen. However, in some cases, doctors decide not to prescribe the drugs listed above. They are replaced by non-hormonal drugs with vitamins and phytoestrogens in the composition. As alternative options, official medicine involves the use of antipsychotics, psychotropic stimulants, tranquilizers, and even homeopathic medicines. The result of treatment is evaluated, as a rule, after a full course.therapy.
Traditional medicine methods
Sometimes even doctors are open to a woman using certain unorthodox methods that won't hurt, but can help speed up the healing process. Of course, traditional medicine is supposed only as an auxiliary method in the complex of everything that relieves a headache during menopause. The correct dosage is also required here.
A simple fresh herbal tea with the addition of a couple of drops of lemon juice and a small amount of natural honey has proved to be excellent. Other ingredients may include raspberry leaves, mint, oregano, St. John's wort, sage, and nettle. The very first tea is made on the basis of any three of the above components. After that, it is desirable to brew a drink based on a different set of ingredients.
In addition, traditional medicine has another answer to how to treat a headache with menopause. You will need to brew the same herbal tea, but now alternate its intake with a drink based on rose hips and lingonberries. Such actions will contribute to the invigorating and analgesic effect at the same time. Various decoctions are good for headaches, for example, from oats, chamomile, linden or lemon balm. However, you should not try everything at once, you need a consistent approach and evaluation of effectiveness at all stages of treatment.
Regulation of lifestyle and nutrition
Persistent ailments in the head area are often associated with a violation of the diet and the presence of one or more bad habits. Heavy and fatty foods, excessive addition of s alt and hot spices and preservatives, combined with many chemical additives, provoke severe discomfort during the menopause period. It is worth reconsidering your daily diet, but keep the presence of all important trace elements and vitamins in it.
With menopause, headaches are also from the complete absence of any physical exertion. However, to engage in excessive heavy exercises, of course, should not be. Usually a minimal program is enough, including dancing, yoga, swimming or morning jogging. The main rule is that such loads should bring pleasure and not be a burden. Thus, a woman will be able to protect herself from additional stress, take control of her emotional background and get rid of bouts of nervousness and panic attacks. Headaches during menopause can decrease or disappear altogether even from simple regular walks in the fresh air.
Preventive measures and tips
Preventive opportunities to prevent harmful effects during the restructuring of the body are quite banal, but no less effective. It is imperative to observe a daily regimen in which there are no both excessive loads and too long periods of laziness. Treatment of headache symptoms in menopause can be carried out byregulation of blood pressure and massage of the forehead, neck and temples. Doctors have proven that positive emotions contribute to a speedy recovery and getting rid of various ailments. In this situation, such a statement is more than fair and will undoubtedly work in practice.
Many women over the age of forty know firsthand what headaches can be with menopause. Of course, every woman will have to go through this stage, but if you wish, you can try to postpone it for several years. It is enough to observe the above preventive measures, because, among other things, they contribute to the rejuvenation and strengthening of all body structures. The lifestyle that is closest to the right one is the best way to quickly "skip" a difficult period and, quite likely, even without the need to seek help from specialists.
