Why women experience migraines three times as often—and what may help here
Symptoms Can Span Several Days
Migraine symptoms may begin during a prodrome phase, as much as a day before an attack. Possible signs include irritability, sensitivity to light or sound, nausea, neck pain and food cravings.
Some people experience an aura, such as flashing lights or other vision changes, during an attack. Afterward, the postdrome phase can bring fatigue, low mood and trouble concentrating, with symptoms lasting up to two days.
Causes Remain Unclear
Doctors and researchers do not know exactly what causes migraines. Ailani said discoveries in the early 1990s shifted thinking away from blood vessels and toward proteins that can trigger inflammation and disrupt a brain network.
A family history may matter because inherited genes can make the brain more sensitive to cycles of unusual electrical activity, Ailani said. She described proteins released at the wrong time as contributing to inflammation and network problems linked with intense headaches.
Hormones May Affect Risk
Ailani said hormones received little attention during her medical training, but she later came to see them as highly important. Before puberty, boys are more susceptible to migraines than girls, according to the article.
After a female's first menstrual cycle, her chance of developing migraines rises substantially. There are also theories that testosterone may help protect against migraines.
Treatment And Speaking Up
An injection treatment described by Ailani involves a deeper needle than injections used for aesthetic procedures and may cause temporary pain. She said people return because it is effective, with the aim of reaching migraine freedom and helping patients live fully.
Ailani also recommends CGRP inhibitors, which can prevent future migraines and become more effective over time, and Remote Electrical Neuromodulation devices placed on the upper arm. The devices send electrical charges into muscle to stimulate nerves that can reduce the brain's pain response. Women may sometimes stay quiet about health problems because they assume the pain is normal or simply part of being a woman.
Key points
- About 37 million Americans suffer from migraines, and women are three times more likely than men to get them.
- Symptoms may occur before, during and after a migraine attack.
- Hormonal changes may contribute to rising migraine risk after a female's first menstrual cycle.
- Treatment options discussed include injections, CGRP inhibitors and Remote Electrical Neuromodulation devices.