Migraine headaches are more common in women than men. Migraines can often be crippling, sending a women to a quiet, darkened bedroom.

Migraines are said to put a woman at greater risk of stoke than even family history of heart problems or high cholesterol.

That situation is bad enough. But add Smoking and Oral Contraceptives to the migraine mix, and you have a potentially destructive combination, says McLeod Neurologist Dr. Timothy Hagen.

Here is a summary of Dr. Hagen’s comments:

I want to talk about migraine with aura. When you have a migraine, by definition it means that one side of your head hurts. It pounds. That’s the “migraine” part of it. It’s what I call a “sick headache.” It’s associated with nausea and head pain. You want to crawl in a hole and don’t want anyone to bother you.

When you have an aura, it means you have a focal neurological symptom that occurs before the headache starts. Your arm goes weak. You lose vision on one side or the other. Or you see flashy lights. Those things generally occur 15 or 20 minutes before the headache appears.

If you have the aura with the migraine and you’re on the oral contraceptives and you smoke cigarettes, you have a greatly increased chance of having a stroke. I have taken care of young patients who ended up having a stroke, because they had that combination.

So, if you’re going to use birth control pills, you can’t smoke. Don’t take it lightly.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE

Are your headaches, smoking and oral contraceptives putting you at risk of stroke? See your OB/GYN for an exam that looks at your blood pressure, among other health issues.

You may also find these articles helpful:

Don’t Let Pregnancy Lead to A Stroke

Dismantling the Barriers to Your Treatment for Incontinence

Do You Need a DEXA Bone Screening?

Find an OB/GYN near you.
Sources include: McLeod Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Heart Association, National Stroke Association, Women’s Health Initiative, National Institutes of Health