Women are thrice more at risk of migraines than men: Expert

Changes in hormones may explain why migraines are three times more common among women than men said experts here on SundayMigraine 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 activityIt can be accompanied by difficulty in concentration and it is a usually longlasting headache for more than four hours and can last up to 72 hoursMigraine is a very common headache and affects about 15 per cent of the population People with migraine have significant family history of migraine and is accompanied by worsening during menstrual periods The ratio of females to male is three times to onerdquo Dr Praveen Gupta Principal Director Department of Neurology Fortis Memorial Research Institute told IANSThis is because of the cyclical change in the hormones of the body Female sex hormones known as oestrogen is the main culprit for causing migraines said Dr Sumit Singh Director Neurology at Artemis HospitalsAlso Read Do unmarried women in India feel judged and ashamed when visiting gynaecologistsHe told IANS that the risk of migraine is much higher in women who consume hormonal pills or use hormonal contraceptivesAs per the Global Burden of Disease study 2019 worldwide migraine is the leading cause of disability among women aged 1849Studies also show migraines are more frequent disabling and longlasting in women than in menrsquos 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 menMigraine 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 IANSAlso Read Obesity in women elevates risk of breast and ovarian cancer ExpertsThere 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 migraineIt has to be theorised so as to diagnose migraine early and treat it adequately the doctor saidDr JB Agadi Senior Consultant Neurology Apollo Hospital Bangalore also pointed at the growing need for nonpharmacological options for treating migraines Emerging technologies like Remote Electrical Neuromodulation REN offer promising options for migraine sufferers REN utilises lowlevel electrical stimulation to activate painrelieving pathways in the brain providing a clinically proven drugfree option for migraine management he doctor saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever