Both migraines and endometriosis affect a high percentage of the population. Endometriosis affects about 10-15% of the population, while migraines affect >12% of the population (Parasar, Ozcan, & Terry, 2017; Yeh, Blizzard, & Taylor, 2018). So is any association between the two just an overlap of two common conditions? Or is there something that ties the two together?
According to several studies, there is a higher prevalence of migraines in people with endometriosis. One study noted that “the risk of endometriosis was significantly higher in migrainous women” and that “women of reproductive age who suffer from migraine should be screened for endometriosis criteria” (Maitrot-Mantelet et al., 2020). Another study noted a “linear relationship exists between migraine pain severity and the odds of endometriosis” (Miller et al., 2018). One study also attempted to account for the effects of hormones on migraines and endometriosis and found evidence of a “co-morbid relationship between migraine and endometriosis, even after adjusting for the possible effects of female hormone therapies on migraine attacks” (Yang et al., 2012).
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