Hormonal headaches are a serious and often times debilitating form of headache that effects only women. Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone can have significant effects on the brain, often triggering severe headaches. Hormonal headaches are a part of the overall premenstrual cycle, and can begin eleven to seven days before the menstrual cycle. Symptoms of hormonal headaches include severe migraine like pain, usually accompanied by a sensitivity to light and loud noises. The pain is usually described as a throbbing sensation. A large percentage of women will eventually experience a hormonal headache. The occurence of hormonal headaches can be hard to predict, although contraceptives are known to have an effect on their frequency. In some women, oral contraceptives provide a trigger for migraine like headaches, while in others it actually mitigates the effects of the headaches. Accurately predicting the effect that oral contraceptives will have is difficult. Outside of contraceptives, the exact causes of a hormonal headache are unknown. Preventing hormonal headaches can be difficult, or at least hard to do. Fortunately, treatment for the effects of hormonal headaches can be highly effective. Over the counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can do a good job of handling the symptoms of hormonal headaches. Treatment with these over the counter drugs around five to seven days prior to a menstrual period can mitigate their effects. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen are all possible treatment options for hormonal headaches. These NSAID medications can possibly also play a role in reducing other premenstrual symptoms. Migraine medications, such as triptans, can also be used to lessen the impact of hormone headaches. Although not a direct solution to hormonal headaches, triptans can significantly reduce the associated pain. Triptans and NSAID medication should be used wisely when attempting to reduce hormonal headaches, because they can cause reactions if overused. Overuse of both triptans and NSAID medication can cause “rebound” headaches in which the symptoms present even stronger. In addition to the premenstrual cycle, hormonal headaches also emerge during high hormone level periods. The early periods of childbirth can cause widespread changes in hormone levels, and this can commonly result in hormonal headaches. The days after childbirth are also particularly susceptible to the occurence of headaches. Menopause can also frequently be associated with hormonal headaches.