But you don't have to be outside to be affected. Even exposure to fluorescent lighting can trigger one. Sixty-five percent of those women who have migraines say they get them immediately before, during, or right after their menstrual period. Oral contraceptives and estrogen replacement therapy make migraines worse in some women but not all. In fact, migraines occasionally improve when taking estrogen.
Migraines tend to worsen in early pregnancy and improve as pregnancy progresses.
Migraines in women often improve with age, especially after menopause, but that is not always the case. In short, for women hormones appear to play an important, complex, and not entirely understood role in the etiology of migraine. Stress Emotional stress affects nearly everyone but in different ways. Some people worry, some feel tense, others develop physical reactions such as sweaty palms or irregular heartbeats. Some folks experience all of these symptoms and more.