Do Women Get Migraines More Than Men?

Migraines are much worse than your typical, run of the mill headaches. Besides simply causing excruciating head pain, migraines also bring on extreme sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and vomiting. While some people only experience migraines for a few short hours, some people have migraines that last for several days at a time. And, usually, they occur at least once each month, if not weekly. 

 

While literally anyone can get migraines, studies have shown that women do get migraines more than men do. The Mayo Clinic reports that only 6% of men get migraines, while 17% of women suffer from them. This has lead doctors to investigate what causes migraines and why it is that women are three times more likely to get them.

 

Researchers have identified several triggers that can bring on a migraine. High levels of stress, changes in the weather, bright or blinking lights, certain medications, certain smells, caffeine, alcohol, MSG, and aspartame have all been blamed for causing migraine headaches. Of course, each individual is different and the trigger that always causes migraines in one person may never do so in another.

 

It seems that part of the reason women are more likely to get migraines is that, as they tend to be smaller than men, they are more strongly affected by substances that act as triggers, such as caffeine and alcohol. The way men and women metabolize certain chemicals is quite different, so this could also be to blame.

 

Additionally, it seems that hormones play a role. A women’s monthly period causes great fluctuations in hormonal levels, which the body’s nervous system may react to by causing a migraine. Women around the age of 40 suffer from migraines more than any other age group. Migraines are much less likely to occur, however, in women after they have gone through menopause.