How to combat headaches during pregnancy

The most common symptoms that a woman might face during the early days of pregnancy are usually nausea, dizziness, morning sickness and fatigue. Headache isn’t as common as the other symptoms, but is prevalent during early months of pregnancy and can cause a lot of distress while it lasts. On the other hand, people who suffer from migraine might find it difficult to cope with the added stress given the demands of pregnancy.

What causes pregnancy induced headaches?

Most of the time headaches during pregnancy are due to the hormonal changes happening within the body or physiological changes like fluctuating blood pressure, stress, etc. Some of the common causes of pregnancy induced headaches are:

Hormonal changes: Your hormones are the first to take the blame for your discomfort during pregnancy and in this case it is progesterone. There is an increase in blood volume in your body during pregnancy (blood volume increases by 50 percent to meet the requirements of your body and that of your baby). High levels of progesterone help the uterus and the blood vessels in your body to relax due to which a strain is created on the nerves present in neck and brain which could lead to headaches. Here are three exercises that could help boost better blood circulation on the body.

Fluctuations in blood pressure: Rise in blood pressure during pregnancy can be a prime cause of pregnancy induced headaches. Sometimes medications used to treat hypertension in women could also be a trigger. Here are 10 ways in which high BP can affect your body.

Side effect of caffeine reduction: If you were high on caffeine pre-pregnancy and have resorted to a habit of avoiding the same for your baby’s sake, you could be paying for your vice with experiencing bouts of headaches. It could possibly be a withdrawal symptom going off caffeine. However, stay off it to avoid other complications of pregnancy and labour. Here are eight other beverages that you need to avoid during pregnancy.

Stress: This could be a possible trigger for tension induced headache. Stress can take a toll on your health leading to hormonal imbalances or fluctuations in blood pressure. Here are nine ways to ease stress during pregnancy.

Dehydration: It is one factor that can influence the frequency and intensity of your headaches. Lack of water in the body would lead to toxic built-up and trigger headache. Here is why drinking water during pregnancy is crucial.

Sinus congestion: If you suffer or are prone to sinus congestion you might experience pain behind the area of your cheekbones and around your eyes.

Migraines: If you suffer from migraines there is a possibility that your triggers could make it worse for you if you don’t take adequate precautions to avoid them. Here are five natural remedies for headaches that actually work.

What are the common types of headaches one can suffer from during pregnancy?

There are two types of headaches that can cause trouble during pregnancy, namely,

• Tension induced headaches due to hormonal changes, stress and fatigue. These are also termed as secondary headaches as they are the outcome of a particular condition like stress, change in blood pressure, hormones etc.
• Migraine headaches which is due to specific triggers. However, many experts say that with the progression of pregnancy one might experience less of it. But for women who suffer from acute migraine there could be episodes of mild to severe migraine attacks during pregnancy.

How to treat headaches during pregnancy?

Here are few ways in which you can avoid pregnancy induced headaches:

Sleep well: Adequate sleep during pregnancy would ensure that you recover from fatigue and are able to manage stress to some extent. During pregnancy try to increase your sleep time by going to bed an hour early and waking up an hour late. This is one of the best and natural ways to keep away from headaches during pregnancy. Here are few tips to help you sleep well during pregnancy.

Eat a balanced diet: Avoid going hungry for a long while and eat at least six small healthy meals a day. This is important to keep your blood sugar in control as a drop in the same could be a reason for an untimely ache.

Avoid cold and cough: If you are prone to suffer from sinus, take good care to avoid cold and cough during pregnancy as it could make it worse.

Drink more fluids: Being hydrated will ensure that your physiological functions are at its optimal which will help you keep headaches under control.

Try warm compress: Pat your face and forehead with a warm wet towel. Press your temples lightly with the towel to relieve yourself from the symptom.

Practise belly breathing: This will make sure that there is adequate oxygen in your blood stream and better blood circulation throughout the body to help combat headaches. Here is why belly breathing during pregnancy is good for you.

Try aromatherapy: Not all aromatherapy oils are good for pregnant woman. But there are a few oils that help relieve headaches. However, it is better to talk to an expert before you pick up aromatherapy oil to treat headaches at home.

Reach out for alternative therapy: Reflexology, biofeedback, meditation and acupressure can help you to get relief from headaches. However, to practise or benefit from these techniques you would need help from an expert in the said field.

Consult with your doctor: Even if you had been taking medications to treat your headaches, like in case of migraine, don’t pop a pill without consulting your doctor. Although, paracetamol are safe to be consumed during pregnancy but not all painkillers are safe for expectant mothers consumption. So consult your doctor if headaches are taking a toll on your daily routine to a great extent.

When should you be concerned about your headaches?

Headaches during pregnancy are common during the first trimester. However, if you face terrible bouts of the same during the second or third trimester try and get your condition checked as it could be a symptom of pre-eclampsia which could lead to complications in pregnancy and lead to growth related problems in the fetus.

Originally published on www.thehealthsite.com