Did you know that women suffer migraines three times more frequently than men do; and menstrual migraines affect 60 percent of these women.

According to a recent online survey conducted by the National Headache Foundation (NHF), 87 percent of respondents reported that their headaches increase in frequency and/or severity before, during or immediately after their menstrual cycle

There are two types of menstrual headaches: Menstrually-Related Migraine (MRM) and Pure Menstrual Migraine (PMM). A menstrually-related migraine is a headache of moderate to severe pain that happens during a certain window of time around the period and at other times of the month as well. A pure menstrual migraine is similar in every respect, but occurs during the time around a woman’s period only. Menstrual migraine has been reported more painful, lasts longer and comes back more often when medication wears off than non-menstrual migraine.

Menstrual migraines are primarily caused by estrogen, the female hormone that regulates menstrual cycle fluctuations throughout the cycle. When the levels of estrogen and progesterone change, women will be more vulnerable to headaches.

The NHF online survey found that pregnancy and breast feeding can have a positive effect on a woman’s headache condition. Fifty-nine percent of sufferers who took the survey indicated that the frequency and/or severity of their headaches decreased during pregnancy; with 51 percent noticing the most significant difference during their first trimester. On a related note, 49 percent found a decrease in frequency and/or severity of their headaches while breast feeding.

While pregnancy and breast feeding have shown a decrease in migraines, the opposite can be true for women’s peri-menopause phase. Seventy-eight percent of survey respondents believe that they experience more frequent headaches in the years leading up to menopause.

Source: National Headache Foundation