It’s Not ‘Just a Headache’: Debunking Myths About Women’s Migraines

Headaches add some discomfort to your day, but migraines can derail your plans. If you experience frequent migraines, you might have heard people repeat some common myths when you mentioned your discomfort. The myths can discourage people from finding relief, so debunk a few to understand better how to get help before or during your next migraine.

1. Migraines Are Just Headaches

The reproductive cycle causes numerous recurring symptoms for people with female systems. Head pain is one of them.

Experts estimate that 18%-25% of the female population experience headaches with their periods, but only 17% of all women meet the criteria for having migraines. It’s easy to dismiss a migraine as a headache because the latter is slightly more common, but it could be a migraine if it’s more severe.

2. Only Hormones Cause Migraines

Oestrogen and oestradiol hormone levels fluctuate during the various phases of your cycle, directly affecting the frequency and intensity of your migraines. However, they aren’t the only causes. Other common triggers can still occur, like dealing with stressors, disruptions in your sleep routine or even eating specific foods.

3. Regular Periods Cause Migraines

The standard ovarian cycle can be a migraine trigger because your hormones rise and fall around the same time each month. However, fluctuating hormones also cause the timing of irregular periods. Either way, your hormones can influence when your migraines occur in correlation with your regular or irregular periods.

4. Women Can’t Do Anything About Their Migraines

When people learn that migraine and reproductive hormones are connected, they sometimes think migraines are inevitable. You can’t control your hormone production, so does that mean you can’t do anything about your discomfort? Not necessarily.

Researchers are still in the process of identifying if oral birth control could help people with female reproductive systems manage migraine pain. The latest data reviewed participants taking desogestrel if they experienced migraines with auras. Sixty percent of the participants rated their pain at 30% less than without desogestrel. However, more research is necessary with other oral contraceptives before they become an official treatment.

Ways to Resolve Your Migraines

While the scientific community seeks medical treatments for migraines, you can still find relief in other ways. You have the power to experience less head pain if you try new pain relief strategies.

1. Look Into Botox Treatments

Botox isn’t just a noninvasive cosmetic procedure that reduces signs of ageing. It can also make migraines less common. It’s a preventive treatment for people who experience 15 headaches or more each month and would most benefit from chronic migraine relief.

Talk with your doctor if you’d like to schedule a Botox appointment. If they approve, a licenced aesthetician or medical professional can meet with you to discuss how the treatment might be a good fit for your chronic head pain.

2. Consider Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medication

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications like acetaminophen might ease common aches and pains, but you may not feel like they’re effective against your migraines. Try a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication instead. Aspirin, naproxen or ibuprofen could be more effective if your migraines are mostly related to inflammation.

If those work, you could consider dietary changes to reduce your long-term inflammation as well. Eating things like pumpkin seeds would give your body more phenolic content and flavonoids, which minimise it naturally. You might experience less frequent migraines if your body doesn’t deal with as much inflammation.

3. Drink Caffeine With Your Medication

If your migraine starts early in the day, consider taking some of your OTC NSAIDs with a caffeinated drink. The caffeine in coffee can help your body absorb drugs by enhancing the gastric emptying rate. As long as you drink it early enough to allow several hours for the caffeine to leave your system, it likely won’t interfere with your sleep schedule.

Just meet with your doctor before trying this migraine treatment. Taking NSAIDs with caffeine can increase the risk of adverse gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like cramping, acid reflux, and heartburn for people with GI conditions or a history of ulcer disease.

Understand Your Brain Better to Find Greater Relief

Women’s migraines have a few common myths that shouldn’t hold you back from finding pain relief. If you deal with frequent migraines, talk with your doctor about treatment options. Anti-inflammatory diet changes, Botox injections and even improving your body’s ability to absorb pain medications could all become effective ways to improve your quality of life.

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Mia Barnes is a health and wellness writer and the Editor In Chief at Body+Mind. She especially enjoys writing about mental health, physical well-being, mindfulness, and healthy living. When she's not writing, you can find Mia reading romance novels, jogging, and trying new recipes!