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What Causes Ocular Migraines?

Hormones

Migraine onset has been suggested to have links to hormone levels [11]. According to the World Health Organization [12], migraine is twice as common in women due to hormonal influences. Estrogen, the female sex hormone secreted by the ovaries, may affect how migraines occur.

This hormone controls the chemicals that affect pain sensation in the brain. Its levels fluctuate in women due to menstrual cycles and life events such as pregnancy and menopause. Hormone levels in women also fluctuate due to the use of oral contraceptives. Oral contraceptive use is a known trigger [13] for ocular migraines.