Migraine In Women: Causes And Treatment

Approximately 13% of the total population suffer from migraines, which are painful and crippling interference to the operation, and they  relate more to women than men. What is the reason for this gender imbalance? Studies have been carried out, and one example is a study carried out a year ago by the Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Chiron Hospital in Barcelona. It is now known that migraine is to some extent an inherited problem, but it is also related to the presence of a particular enzyme in the body.

So this time, we’ll share the latest information on migraines and give you a few easy tips that will be of great use the next time you feel your migraines start to bother you.  So if you are one of the people affected by this painful health problem, you should keep reading!

1. Why do migraines occur especially in women?

According to Ramón Tormo, a neurologist at Barcelona’s Chiron Hospital,  three out of four people with migraines are women. If a migraine is a problem for you too, you no doubt know very well what it all means: numerous absences from work and, above all, a lack of an effective treatment.

So why do women suffer from migraines more easily?  And is there any preventative treatment for this ailment to improve quality of life? At present, physicians are aware of the facts we describe below about the occurrence of migraines in women.

1. Lack of a certain enzyme in the body causes migraines in women

Let’s start with this simple question: Did you suffer from migraines yourself and does someone else in your family have the same ailment? According to studies by the aforementioned neurologist Tormon, migraines are related to a deficiency of a certain enzyme in the body, and this is called  DAO (diamino oxidase).

This deficiency is hereditary,  so it is passed on in genes from parents to children, and this deficiency is one of the causes of terrifying migraines. What role, then, does this enzyme play in their pathogenesis? The following describes the process in detail:

• The DAO enzyme is responsible for destroying molecules known in the body as histamines. They are found in many of the foods you eat every day, such as dairy products, meat, citrus fruits, and so on. When histamines break down in the body, they are excreted in the urine.

• What happens if the amount of histamine in the blood is high? Eventually, they accumulate in the blood plasma, resulting in inflammation that slows down digestion and even affects brain chemistry. This in turn causes faster blood flow as well as inflammation of brain tissues.

2. The association between migraines and hormonal change in women

There is another interesting reason why the DAO enzyme affects women more than men. Can you guess what it is?  These are a woman’s natural hormonal changes  that occur throughout her life due to ovulation, menstruation, and menopause. Hormone activity has effects associated with the development of migraines. In the following, we will explain this in more detail:

• A woman’s hormonal activity causes natural decreases in the amount of the DAO enzyme in the body. Therefore, women sometimes experience migraines during their period, but if you have an inherited deficiency in that enzyme from your parents, the problem may be worse.

• One interesting fact is that during pregnancy, a woman’s placenta produces the DAO enzyme to protect the fetus. As a result, for nine months you may experience migraines milder than normal.
• Women are exposed to hormonal changes throughout their lives, so the  effectiveness of treatments is uneven – a good remedy may suddenly stop working. It all depends here on what stage of your menstrual cycle you are in, or for older women as to whether they are currently in menopause. In this regard, migraines may become more intense as menopause passes.

2. What is the best treatment for migraines?

Migraines are associated with a lack of histamine tolerance, and this means, among other things, the challenge of eating dairy products and citrus fruits.

Now you also know that migraines are not inherited as such, but this heredity is related to a deficiency of the DAO enzyme in the body. Therefore, a  possible treatment can be found in balancing the levels of this particular enzyme in the body.

However, it is only up to the neurologist to advise you on the treatment of migraines,  because although 90% of migraines are caused by a deficiency of that enzyme in the body, the remaining 10% of cases are caused by some unknown cause.

So what can a migraine sufferer do to reduce its intensity and improve their quality of life? If you have a migraine, take the following advice in your daily life:

1. Better control stressful situations as they can be triggers for migraines.

2. Reduce your intake of foods that contain histamines. These include the following products:

• Milk
• Cheeses
• Yogurt
• Wine
• Beer
• Carbonated beverages
• Coffee
• Rice flour
• Sausages
• Salted or fresh meats
• Beans
• Fermented vegetable products such as tofu
• Frozen fish
• Eggplant
• Wine vinegar
• Chocolate
• Anchovies
• Avocado
• Packaged fruit juices

With these guidelines, you can be able to control the suffering caused by your migraines in a natural way.