Migraines are no ordinary headaches, they can cause intense pain and sickness lasting hours or even days. For millions of women, these debilitating attacks aren’t just an occasional experience but a recurring ordeal. Women suffer from migraines three times as often as men, with episodes that are more prolonged and intense.
During early childhood, boys are slightly more prone to migraines than girls, but puberty tips the balance dramatically. At this time, sex hormones begin to fluctuate and trigger physical changes including the onset of menstruation. This is often when girls experience their first migraine. From puberty onwards, girls experience migraines at a higher rate than boys, with this disparity growing more pronounced as people reach their mid-thirties and persisting into late life.
Estrogen’s Link to Migraine
Estrogen’s link to migraine is well documented, but researchers don’t yet fully understand how it contributes to the onset and progression of migraine. Estrogen levels drop during menstruation, and this sudden drop is thought to play a key role in triggering migraines. Additionally, estrogen levels influence other hormones such as serotonin, which typically protects against migraine by lowering pain sensitivity. When estrogen levels drop, so do serotonin levels, increasing the likelihood of migraine.
Emerging research suggests progesterone, another sex hormone, could also play a role in migraines. Recent findings suggest the activation of progesterone receptors in the brain could increase susceptibility to pain. Researchers are also mapping possible genetic components to migraines in women, helping to move migraine science beyond outdated myths about “hysterical” or “sensitive” women.