Why Women Face Triple the Risk of Migraines?

Fluctuations in hormones could elucidate why migraines are three times more prevalent in women than men. This phenomenon is attributed to the cyclical changes in the body's hormones, particularly the female sex hormone estrogen. He emphasized that women using hormonal pills or contraceptives face a significantly increased risk of migraines. Migraine is a severe headache that starts usually on one side but can be bilateral, and associated with a pulsating or a throbbing quality. It is accompanied by nausea or vomiting, and is also associated with the irritability to sound and noise and it worsens by doing routine activity. It can be accompanied by difficulty in concentration and it is a usually long-lasting headache - for more than four hours and can last up to 72 hours.

Migraine is the Leading Cause of Disability in Women Ages 18-49

As per the Global Burden of Disease study 2019, worldwide migraine is the leading cause of disability among women aged 18-49. Studies also show migraines are more frequent, disabling and long-lasting in women than in men’s. The fairer sex is also more likely than men to have anxiety and depression related to migraines and seek medical care and prescription drugs than men.

"Migraine is a very common headache, and is more common in females than males. Diagnosis of migraine is always clinical and it requires a consultation with a good physician or neurologist which can be diagnosed easily, sometimes imaging scans like MRI is required," Prof Vinay Goyal, Chairman Neurology from Medanta The Medicity, Gurugram, told IANS.

There are multiple new techniques available for treatment of migraine. But it is "imperative to identify precipitating symptoms for example, hunger, sunlight, exposure, sleep deprivation, stress. These are some of the symptoms which can come prior to the migraine".It has to be theorized so as to diagnose migraine early and treat it adequately, the doctor said. Dr J.B. Agadi, Senior Consultant Neurology, Apollo Hospital, Bangalore also pointed at the growing need for non-pharmacological options for treating migraines.

"Emerging technologies like Remote Electrical Neuromodulation (REN) offer promising options for migraine sufferers. REN utilizes low-level electrical stimulation to activate pain-relieving pathways in the brain, providing a clinically proven, drug-free option for migraine management," he doctor said.

Source-IANS