How to Treat Hormonal Headaches

Headaches have a variety of causes, from stress and tension to lack of sleep or poor diet. These headaches are among the easiest to treat since simple lifestyle changes are usually all it takes to help. Other headaches, like women's hormonal headaches, however, can be trickier to handle. There could be any number of risk factors that create them and identifying them can take time. Even so, it is possible to treat hormonal headaches effectively.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Keep a journal of your headaches: when they occur, how intense they are, and what you took to treat them. This will help you and your doctor determine the exact kind of headaches you are having (they may not be hormonal).
2. Get plenty of exercise. Exercise is known to help regulate hormone levels and reduce our overall stress (something else that increases our hormone levels). Talk to your doctor about an exercise plan that is right for your body.
3. Change your birth control pills or stop taking them entirely. Many women end up with hormonal headaches during the middle of the placebo course of pills when on birth control as their hormone levels change dramatically from synthetic to natural.
4. Talk to your doctor about prescription medication in the event that your headaches are either hormonal or migraine related. This is usually the next step when other, less potent treatments fail.
5. Consider alternative medicine options like acupuncture, chiropractic care and even medicinal teas and herbs. Several alternative medicines have shown great promise in helping to alleviate some of the symptoms and pain associated with hormonal headaches.
6. Change your diet. Your diet plays a major role in your overall health, and often your hormone levels are altered or determined by your diet. Talk to your doctor or speak to a nutritionist about what type of diet you should be on.

Tips & Warnings

• Be aware that hormonal headaches can mimic migraines, so if you've never experienced migraine before then this is a good sign you may be suffering from hormonal headaches.
• Talk to your doctor about any interactions prescription medications may have if you're taking birth control or any other form of hormone-regulating drugs. Never take prescription strength drugs without understanding the potential side effects.
• Don't try alternative medicine options without first consulting your health care provider. Alternative medicine can be beneficial, but only if it does not interact with any traditional treatments your doctor prescribes.

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