Posts

Natural Treatment of Menstrual Migraines

Image
According to a research paper, menstrual migraines are more severe than migraines at other times of the cycle. The authors of the paper explain that menstrual migraines are caused by estrogen withdrawal at the end of the cycle together with an estrogen-dependent release of prostaglandins and histamine. They propose progesterone as a possible prevention strategy. How hormones affect migraines  Menstrual migraines are more common with high, fluctuating estrogen and relatively low progesterone, such as during perimenopause. That’s why menstrual migraines are more common between the ages of 40 and 55. High, fluctuating estrogen promotes migraines by 1) stimulating immune cells to produce more prostaglandins and histamine, and 2) leading to steep estrogen withdrawal, which disrupts the neurotransmitters serotonin and glutamate.   Tip:  New research suggests that migraines may be caused by "plumes" or the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate moving in waves through...
Post a Comment
Read more

OVULATION: The main event of the menstrual cycle

Image
A menstrual cycle is, by definition, an  ovulatory  cycle in which ovulation is the main event and progesterone is made. Any other kind of bleed is either an anovulatory bleed or a pill-bleed — neither of which are real menstrual cycles. Ovulatory cycles are the only way to make progesterone which is important for general health, not just making a baby. An ovulatory menstrual cycle has a follicular phase and a luteal phase The follicular phase is the  pre-ovulatory  phase when estradiol is made. The luteal phase is the post-ovulatory phase when progesterone is made. It looks like this. The follicular phase ranges from seven to 21 days or 32 days for teenagers. It’s the  variable  part of the menstrual cycle. In contrast, the luteal phase is almost exactly fourteen days (ten to sixteen days) and does not vary. If you add up the variable (follicular) phase to the fixed (luteal) phase, the duration of a healthy menstrual cycle is anywhere betw...
2 comments
Read more

Ovarian Cyst: Symptoms And Natural Treatments

Image
Ovarian Cyst  Symptoms And Natural Treatments If you’ve got ovaries that ovulate, it is highly likely that you develop an ovarian cyst at sometime in your fertile years. You may not even notice the ovarian cyst symptoms or it may be very painful depending on the type and size of the cyst. Each ovulatory cycle, an egg matures inside of a follicle. Then the follicle bursts open and the egg gets released. Next, either you become pregnant, or your period arrives. After that, the follicle forms the corpus luteum, which is a cluster of cells in the ovary that starts producing progesterone – although not everybody produces enough progesterone.  Sometimes, parts of this process become problematic. For example, if the follicle doesn’t release the egg…The follicle grows and turns into a follicular cyst. Or, a corpus luteum cyst forms because the follicle bursts open as it would every month, but then it fills with fluid and sticks around a little longer.  When we’re talk...
2 comments
Read more