Headaches Change for Older Women After Menopause

Headaches Change for Older Women After Menopause

Dec. 2004 -- As women age, and especially after menopause, they often report fewer headaches. Thats because during younger, reproductive years, fluctuating hormones can trigger headache pain.

However, if youre past menopause and having headaches for the first time, or if your headaches have gotten worse, talk with your doctor. As you age, head pain can be a symptom of a serious illness.

Among the numerous causes for headaches are conditions that obstruct blood flow to the brain, high blood pressure, brain tumor, glaucoma or a transient ischemic attack, which indicates high risk for stroke. Most headaches arent cause for alarm. But if you develop headaches that are very different from ones youve had in the past, an underlying medical condition could be to blame.


The December issue of Mayo Clinic Womens HealthSource recommends you seek medical care immediately if you have one or more of these warning signs:

Source: Mayo Clinic Womens HealthSource