According to the Migraine Research Foundation, 25% of US households include a person who regularly gets migraines. A good majority of those individuals are women. In fact, migraines are three times more common in women than men, and migraines affect over 30% of women over a lifetime.
Migraines Are Different From Regular Headaches
A migraine is very different from regular headaches, and if you have ever had one, you already know that. A migraine is a medical condition causing intense and throbbing pain, sometimes on one side of the head, but it can affect both sides. The pain can be in the temples or behind the eyes or even ears.
In addition to the intense pain, symptoms may include the following:
- Nausea
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Temporary loss of vision
- Spots and flashing lights
Migraines can last a few hours or even days, and they interfere with daily activities. In a very recent study, headache disorders are the leading cause of disability among women under the age of 50.
Why Women Are More Prone to Migraines?
There are several reasons:
A Woman’s Brain Anatomy
Yes, it is true, but before you begin to speculate, let us give you the facts. Women have slightly thicker gray matter in their brains and spinal cord. Recent studies show it is thicker in the posterior insula, or pain processing center, and the precuneus, or consciousness portion of the brain.
There is greater activation of emotional pain processing in the brains of women compared to men, making women more prone to depression and anxiety. All this can lead to migraines.
Hormonal Fluctuation
Fluctuating estrogen and other hormones contribute to the development of migraines. Consider the fact that migraines are more prevalent in males when young, but once puberty and menstruation begin in girls with rising estrogen, the prevalence changes.
Estrogen regulates the female reproductive system, and it also controls chemicals in the brain that affect the sensation of pain. There are constant fluctuations of this hormone during a woman’s life: before menstruation, during pregnancy, after giving birth, during perimenopause and menopause, and when taking oral contraceptives.
So Now What?
If you suffer with migraines, now you know some of the reasons why they affect you more than the male population. But now what? Now it is time to get relief from migraine pain.
There are treatments available if you seek them out. The main takeaway is that you do not have to live with migraine pain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are women more likely to get migraines than men?
Women are about three times more likely to get migraines, largely because of differences in brain anatomy and hormonal fluctuations. Thicker gray matter in pain-processing areas and shifting estrogen levels both play a role.
Are migraines hormonal?
For many women, yes. Estrogen helps control brain chemicals that affect pain, so its natural rise and fall around menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, and while taking oral contraceptives can trigger migraines.
How is a migraine different from a regular headache?
A migraine is a medical condition with intense, throbbing pain that can come with nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and visual disturbances. Attacks can last hours or days and often interfere with daily life.
Can migraines cause disability?
Yes. Research has found that headache disorders are the leading cause of disability among women under age 50. Effective migraine and headache care can help reduce that impact.
Talk With Puget Sound Neurology in Tacoma, WA
Contact Puget Sound Neurology at (253) 284-4488 to get a treatment plan tailored just for you at our office in Tacoma, WA. You can also request an appointment online.