Tension headache: a comparison of menstrual and non-menstrual occurrences

Sex hormones and chronic headache in women

Women experience changes in headache pattern in relation to changes in their reproductive cycles. Menarche, menses, pregnancy, menopause and the use of exogenous oestrogen-containing medications frequently alter baseline headache patterns. Changing patterns of headache in women may be linked to alterations in levels of sex hormones. Sex hormones directly influence headache by affecting the activity of a variety of neurochemicals important for headache, including serotonin (5HT). Treating headache alterations in women may include therapies that modify sex hormones or neurochemicals.

Estrogen and tension-type headache

The vast majority of people experience tension-type headache during their lifetimes. Boys experience tension-type headache slightly more than girls during preadolescent years. During adolescence and adult years, tension-type headache occurs more commonly in females. Tension-type headache changes in women occur in relation to gynecologic changes, including menses, pregnancy, and menopause. These changes are related to estrogen fluctuations. Estrogen fluctuations cause changes in neurochemicals important for pain signal transmission, including serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and enkephalins.