How often have you heard of a “period headache”? While it’s a common expression, the correct medical term is catamenial headache. This is a type of headache that occurs specifically during menstruation — not throughout the entire menstrual cycle, which technically is the interval between two periods, though we’ll use the term “cycle” in this article for easier understanding.
Although symptoms can be intense and bothersome, there’s no need to panic: menstrual headaches are a recognized condition and can be managed. The good news is that there are several effective remedies to reduce the pain and improve your well-being during your period — and medication isn’t always necessary.
Let’s explore the causes, characteristics, and possible solutions to manage this condition more confidently.
Menstrual Headache: How to Recognize It and What Causes It
The link between your period and headaches is far from rare: scientific evidence suggests that 1 in 3 women[1] experiences a connection between menstruation and headache onset. But where exactly does it hurt?
In many cases, the pain affects one side of the head, feels throbbing and can be so intense that it forces you to lie down or avoid physical activity altogether. Those who suffer from it often report fatigue and difficulty concentrating.
But why does this happen? The main cause is the sharp drop in estrogen, female hormones that naturally decline just before menstruation. This hormonal shift triggers a chain reaction: endorphin production decreases (our “natural painkillers”), while substances like prostaglandins and nitric oxide increase, causing dilation of brain blood vessels and thus triggering pain.
Besides hormonal fluctuations, other contributing factors to menstrual migraine include:
- Water retention and dehydration;
- Physical or emotional stress;
- Nutritional deficiencies, especially in magnesium and B vitamins.
Symptoms and Types of Menstrual Headaches
Not all menstrual migraines present the same way. They can vary based on timing and duration:
- Premenstrual headache: Appears 2–3 days before your period starts (some women define it as a PMS headache) and is directly tied to the estrogen drop. It occurs only in this phase and doesn’t usually appear during other times of the cycle.
- Menstrual migraine: Occurs within the first 3 days of menstruation, in at least two out of three cycles. It may also appear in other moments of the month, also during menstruation, making it more complex to manage.
- Post-menstrual headache: Arises 2–3 days after menstruation ends, often due to dehydration or fatigue.
Natural Remedies for Menstrual Headaches
Medication isn’t always necessary to cope with menstrual headaches. In many cases, small lifestyle adjustments can help reduce both the frequency and intensity of symptoms. The situation, in fact, can improve thanks to small habits such as:
- Eating a healthy diet rich in fresh foods, magnesium, and B vitamins while avoiding refined sugars and salty foods;
- Engaging in regular physical activity, also such as low-intensity walking, which boosts endorphin production and improves circulation;
- Maintain a good sleep-wake cycle to ensure quality rest, this helps a key prevent migraine attacks
- Avoid sources of stress, also by engaging in practices such as yoga, meditation or breathing techniques.
The Benefits of Natural Oils for Menstrual Headache Relief
Among the natural remedies for period-related headaches, today CBD-based essential oils have become a particularly effective option for easing pain, inflammation, and tension.
This is due to the endocannabinoid system, a network of receptors in our body that helps maintain internal balance and regulates pain, mood, and inflammatory response.
CBD (cannabidiol), especially the one contained in the Hemp Extract obtained from the Cannabis plant, acts as a natural painkiller. In women who suffer from catamenial headache (period headache), it can help reduce the intensity of the attacks, relax the muscles, improve the quality of sleep and modulate stress, all factors often involved in the onset of the disorder.
Unless the headache is a sign of a more serious underlying condition, trying these natural remedies can be an effective first step toward restoring balance and well-being even during the most sensitive days of your cycle.
[1] [1] A Third of Women Experience Migraines Associated with Menstruation, Most Commonly When Premenopausal, pubblicato in News Releases, J. Ailani, 2024 (https://som.georgetown.edu/news-releases/a-third-of-women-experience-migraines-associated-with-menstruation-most-commonly-when-premenopausal/)
