Headache during pregnancy

Feeling headache during pregnancy is normal and you don’t have to worry about it. Although, there is no completely sure explanation of why, certain factors such as hormonal changes and stress may be correlated.

When a headache during pregnancy is pretty intense, it is appropriate to warn the doctor because it could mean a symptom of preeclampsia, a serious complication in pregnancy identified by an increase in tension.

Headache during pregnancy is a normal symptom. But … how to know if you are pregnant before the month?

The answer is so simple; the absence of menstruation. Afterwards, it can be confirmed with a pregnancy test.

And, if you are afraid to go to the doctor, you may want to try some safe homemade pregnancy tests.

What are the causes of headache during pregnancy?

• Lack of sleep
• Tiredness in general
• Nasal congestion
• Allergies
• Visual tiredness
• Stress
• Depression
• Hunger
• Dehydration

5 Tips against Headaches During Pregnancy

In addition to the headache during pregnancy, there are a number of unpleasant discomforts that are noticed:

• Disgust for some flavors
• Acidity (burning sensation in the stomach)
• Hot flashes (intense, humid and suffocating heat)
• Low blood pressure
• Blurry vision
• Vomit
• Stomach gases
• Ringing in the ears
• Vertigo (everything around you begins to swing abruptly)
• Diarrhea or stomach ache
• Pain in the crotch

It does not mean that you are going to suffer them all, because each organism is different, but you could suffer a couple of them at any time during pregnancy.

How to relieve a headache during pregnancy?

Do you often wonder?… I’m pregnant and my head hurts, what can I take?

You can resort to certain medications such as paracetamol (acetaminophen) to relieve headache during pregnancy.

But if you are determined not to use any type of medication, and you don’t know what to take, you may want to try some home remedies for headache during pregnancy.

Home remedies for headache during pregnancy

• Use a cold compress on the neck and forehead
• Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated
• Soft massages on temples, forehead and neck
• Take a shower with warm water
• Use lavender oil to calm headache during pregnancy. Apply a drop on each temple and massage softly
• Lemon oil controls nausea. Apply 10 drops in a diffuser
• Drink infusions of ginger, thyme, raspberry leaves and lemon balm

In any case, depending on your health condition, it is always important that you consult the doctor and / or nutritionist what type of plants you can consume through infusions.

Can i take paracetamol during pregnancy?

Some studies indicate that it is possible to take paracetamol (acetaminophen) to relieve headache during pregnancy without incurring any risk.

It is also important to keep in mind that the consumption of acetaminophen or paracetamol is safe and effective as long as the appropriate dose is consumed.

Remember that you should never self medicate during pregnancy, let a specialist tell you the amounts and frequency of any medication, even if it is for a mild headache.

Also, keep in mind that some studies suggest that long-term use of acetaminophen or paracetamol increases likelihood that the baby will suffer from:

– Asthma and allergy
– Deterioration of neurological development
– Lack of descent of the testicles to the scrotal pouch
– Preterm delivery in women with preeclampsia

What is paracetamol or acetaminophen used for?

Is a well-known medicine that’s commonly used to relieve pain and bring down fever

• Headache and other minor pain
• Reduce fever and flu symptoms
• Lower inflammation

Additional recommendations to avoid headache in pregnancy

If you have a headache during early pregnancy (first weeks), you should try these simple recommendations:

• Avoid fatigue and sleep well at night
• Implements a moderate exercise routine
• Be punctual with the schedule and don’t skip meals
• Try some relaxation techniques like yoga
• Ask your couple to perform massages constantly on the back and neck especially
• Avoid foods that trigger migraines such as: beans, nuts, aged cheese, fermented foods
• Do not expose yourself to strong or very bright lights
• Be cautious with intense smells and loud sounds
• Learn how to sit in pregnancy, some postures may bother

When a headache during pregnancy isn’t normal?

Head up immediately to the doctor in the following cases:

• If the headache is violent, totally different from the others you have suffered.
• Visual alterations together with the headache
• Pain in the upper part of the abdomen
• Sudden weight gain
• Hands, feet or face swelling
• Blood pressure has gone up or you have suffered from hypertension
• If you present fever and chills

Headaches in pregnancy according to the time it occurs

Headache during pregnancy: first trimester

During the first trimester of pregnancy the body suffers both an increase in hormones (estrogen and progesterone), as well as an increase in blood volume. These two significant changes result in intense headaches every day.

This headache in pregnancy is normal, however, it can be worsened by stress, incorrect posture and/or changes in vision.

It can be accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting, which, due to its passage, leaves pain after the effort of vomiting frequently.

Dizziness and headache in the first trimester of pregnancy are characterized by sweating, skin paleness and blurred vision, which sometimes leads to fainting.

The causes of dizziness in pregnancy are mainly due to:
– hypotension: blood pressure is much lower than usual
– hypoglycemia: decreased blood sugar levels

Colics in the first weeks of pregnancy usually occurs when the uterus expands, causing the ligaments and muscles that support it to stretch.

Headache during pregnancy: second trimester

It is likely that headaches during the second trimester tend to disappear once the hormones level out and the body adapts to changes.

During the second trimester of pregnancy a headache could be a symptom of preeclampsia, which is characterized by high blood pressure, edema, presence of proteins in the urine and excessive weight gain.

If you present some of these warning signs in pregnancy, it is necessary that you go to the doctor to evaluate carefully and rule out diseases in pregnancy that affect the baby.

The headache in pregnancy is normal during the second trimester, but if you present other symptoms such as swollen feet due to increased fluid, allergies or tingling and pain in hands, you should attend the hospital emergency.

Other recommendations during the second trimester of pregnancy is to monitor bleeding, abdominal cramps, shortness of breath, fever, heart palpitations and very intense headaches that do not improve with medication.

Headache during pregnancy: third trimester

In addition to the persistent headache in the third trimester of pregnancy that can be a symptom of preeclampsia, there are other dangerous diseases during pregnancy:

– Premature detachment of the placenta
– Premature rupture of membranes
– Acute pancreatitis
– Acute fatty liver

Others less dangerous but also require special attention:

– Back pain
– Acidity
– Snoring
– Indigestion
– Insomnia of pregnancy

These are some care in the third trimester of pregnancy to which people must pay close attention to not put at risk the health of the baby or the mother.

Conclusions

While the headache in pregnancy is normal, there are precautions you should take to avoid future complications.

If you do not want to take medicines that might affect the baby (everyone says they are safe) there are home remedies for headaches during pregnancy that will help you effectively.

If you doubted that the headache is a symptom of pregnancy, now you have been able to corroborate it, since the headache can occur throughout the pregnancy.

Already knowing what are the complications of pregnancy, start by making a diary where you can write down every discomfort you feel and then consult the doctor at each control.

Preeclampsia is one of the dangerous diseases during pregnancy that affect the baby and the mother, one of its common symptoms is headache.

You also know when dizziness begins in pregnancy, how it is characterized and what its causes are.

Along with the headache in pregnancy, nausea and vomiting may occur, however, they are common symptoms most likely caused by the body’s reaction to hormonal change.