Natural Menopause Treatment For Headaches
Here’s a list of natural menopause treatment options if you’re suffering with headaches as one of the symptoms of menopause. For many women experiencing menopause symptoms, headaches are not all in the mind; once women pass puberty and produce higher levels of female hormones, they suffer more from headaches of all types than men.
Whereas in the past headaches and migraines were considered separate disorders with separate causes (headaches brought on by muscle contractions; migraines resulting from constriction and dilation of blood vessels in the head), they are now believed to belong to the same continuum, with headaches being one of the menopause symptoms leading to migraines.
There are many reasons that headaches and other menopause symptoms occur, such as disease, strong emotions, medications, eating and sleeping patterns, environmental factors, physical exertion and hormones. Fluctuating hormone levels are a characteristic of the perimenopause and they can increase the intensity and/or prevalence of headaches. Women who had headaches before or during their menstrual periods, or who are extra-sensitive to hormone fluctuations, are much more likely to suffer from them after menopause. And if menopause has been surgically induced, migraines, in particular, are much more likely to increase in intensity and severity. Self-help measures and natural menopause treatment to combat headache pain have a lot to do with what, when and how you eat.
A Healthy Menopause Diet Is The Perfect Natural Menopause Treatment
Migraines, in particular, may be triggered by many different factors but among the most common are certain foods. The good news is that specific foods can also acts as natural remedies for menopause. The foods that can trigger menopause symptoms like a migraine vary from person to person, but there are a number of common ones. Missing meals is another common migraine and headache trigger.
Keeping a diary in which you write down what you eat and drink each day, and the circumstances in which you do so (like on the run), as well as environmental changes (noise, bright lights, changes in weather), may help you to link your headaches to possible causes, and also help you identify a food that acts as a natural menopause treatment for you.
Whole grains contain high levels of vitamin B and E, which help to regulate hormonal levels, so include plenty of them in your menopause diet. Substances that boost the circulation may be effective in staving off or relieving a migraine (as long as these are not trigger factors). Calcium and magnesium-rich foods such as nuts, beans and brewer’s yeast help to reduce widening of the carotid arteries, while lecithin granules also are beneficial to circulation.
Serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain, has a big part to play in preventing headaches. People who have headaches are often found to have low serotonin levels, but eating foods rich in tryptophan, such as turkey, fish and bananas, can lead to an increase in brain serotonin. On the other hand, salt leads to water retention, which is a known cause of headache, so it’s important to restrict salt in your diet along with caffeine and alcohol. Make sure, also, that your water intake is adequate.
Exercise
A brisk walk gets your circulation going, and fresh air can ease headache pain. Although exertion may trigger headaches, regular aerobic exercise can reduce the severity of future attacks. Exercise also stimulates the pain-regulating substances in the brain. Muscular tension can cause or exacerbate a headache. You could try t’ai chi, yoga or the Alexander technique - all natural menopause treatment therapies that promote relaxation and reduced physical stress.
Herbs For Menopause
Ginkgo extract (Ginkgo biloba) can improve circulation and help to prevent headaches, and feverfew (chrysanthemum parthenium} long-standing natural remedies for menopause and headaches. Eating a sprig of the fresh plant daily makes it an effective preventative, while brewing 2 - 4 fresh leaves as a cup of strong tea can help with acute headache.
Complementary Therapies
Shoulder tightness and neck problems often lead to headaches, so it’s worth consulting a chiropractor to rule out a physical cause for your problems. If your vertebrae or cranial bones have become misaligned, you might consider consulting a cranial osteopath, who can make minute adjustments to the bones of your skull. Acupuncture and reflexology can also be helpful. A good massage is also an ideal natural menopause treatment as it help relax your muscles, release toxins and improve your circulation.
Chemical Treatment
The seesaw pattern of estrogen production during perimenopause may be helped with hormone therapy. Natural progesterone, in particular, is said to combat hormonal headaches. However, headaches can be a side effect of certain forms of HT, so if you are currently taking HT, ask your doctor whether your dose might be lowered, or whether you should switch to another form that can help you avoid hormone fluctuations.
Your doctor may consider prescribing anti-migraine and other menopause symptoms drugs like sumatriptan and naratriptan, but explain that you prefer a natural menopause treatment, and he or she may be able to offer some suitable natural remedies for menopause.
