Msian doctors confirmed women will sakit kepala more than men. Here’s why.

Can something that’s not alive or sentient be sexist? Y’all read the title, and apparently, yes is the answer – migraines are sexist. Yes, the blinding, throbbing headaches we all know and love affect women way more, according to the United State’s Office on Women’s Health.

For the six people out there who are fortunate enough to have never gotten migraines, what’s it like to have one? These bad boys are nothing like normal headaches – migraines can bring with them:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Sensitivity to light, sounds and smells
• Blurred vision
• Can last up to 72 hours
• Auras

‘Kay, so these auras are not the ones you might’ve seen in Dragon Ball Z; they’re basically a fancy science term for certain other symptoms that precede migraines, like zigzag lines in your field of vision or even temporary blindness. Mad stuff. Now, before we get dunked in the comments section, we know y’all men out there get migraines too. In fact, this writer gets them way more often that he’d like, but the numbers have spoken. No cap, scientists have mathed it out, and…

Women are three times more likely to get migraines than men

Three times more in adult women between the ages of twenty to forty-five, that is. Amazingly, migraines affect more prepubescent boys than girls, but once the estrogen kicks in, that’s when the tables get turned. Dr. Sharmina Kamal, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist from Sunway Medical Centre explains:

This difference between men and women is largely due to a specific hormonal change, namely estrogen that helps regulate the female reproductive system and controls chemicals in the brain that impact the sensation of pain. Therefore, a drop in estrogen levels can contribute to the development of chronic headaches or migraines. – Dr. Sharmina Kamal, in a Sunway Medical Centre press release

Along with fluctuations in hormone levels, lack of sleep or too much sleep, skipped meals, weather changes, alcohol and caffeine can trigger migraines.

The silver lining in this cloud of pain is that migraines are usually not signs of any serious medical condition. However, if you’ve got a migraine, and a particularly nasty symptom that you don’t recognize pops up, it might be time to pay your doctor a visit. These include uncontrollable vomiting, seizures or convulsions, changes in vision, loss of balance or coordination, and straight up loss of consciousness.

So if you the next time you feel a migraine coming on, just know that…

There are things you can do to make your migraine go away

According to Dr. Raymond Tan, Consultant Neurologist from Sunway Medical Centre, the best thing you can do when you feel a migraine come on is to stop what you’re doing and get some rest, preferably somewhere quiet and dimly lit.

Taking a simple analgesic like Paracetamol at the start of the migraine often helps to limit the severity. – Dr. Raymond Tan, in a Sunway Medical Centre press release

Using some cream with menthol extract in it, like Tiger Balm, can also help, but Dr. Raymond advises against this for pregnant or breastfeeding ladies. Another anonymous doctor friend of ours suggested looking up simple breathing exercises on YouTube, as that has helped a few of their patients in the past. Having said that, it’s not just about medication – y’alls lifestyles play a big part in handling migraine attacks. Eating a balanced diet, keeping hydrated (shoutout r/hydrohomies), frequent exercise and getting enough sleep will keep your overall health in the pink and stave off migraine episodes.

Dr. Raymond also advises young women in particular who experience migraine with aura to avoid smoking and oral contraceptives cuz they’re at increased risk of stroke and in some cases, seizures. Then again, it’s probably a good idea for anyone to avoid smoking given its well known adverse health effects.

Right-o, that’s pretty much it for our little PSA on migraines, and to everyone who’s mad at migraines for being sexist, go cancel them on Twitter or something. #muckfigraines