Why are there headaches during pregnancy and what is the treatment?

Headaches during Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the progesterone causes the blood vessels to relax and not spasm that is often a cause of bad headaches. Increased headaches during pregnancy may be because of being particularly sensitive to your hormones or suffering headache problems before pregnancy. Pregnancy headaches are commonly the result of hormonal changes, hunger, fatigue, tension, or physical and emotional stress.

Common causes of headaches during pregnancy

• First one is low blood sugar level. If the blood contains sugar below a required amount, you may get headache. But don't fret; you can solve this problem by not missing meals and always carrying high-energy snacks along with you.
• There are also other obvious factors like loud noise, too much crowd etc that can trigger the headache, so it is very important to avoid such situations.
• Dehydration can also lead to headache. A simple solution is to carry enough water so that you don't get dehydrated.
• Certain environmental factors like bad light and polluted air also cause headaches in some people. Ensure that the environment is healthy and avoid unventilated rooms or workspaces. You can go out for a walk and get some fresh air. Walking will also provide you the much needed exercise.

Headaches are extremely common during pregnancy, especially during the first and third trimesters. During the first trimester it is believed that headaches are caused by a surge of hormones and an increase in blood volume in the body. These are tension headaches and can be even more bothersome if they are provoked from stress, bad posture or vision changes.

You should contact a doctor if you cannot get any relief from headaches, or if the headaches get worse or more persistent. If you have a headache that is different from the normal or is accompanied by blurred vision, swelling in the hands and face, sudden weight gain, or pain in the abdomen you must call your doctor right away. During the second or third trimester of pregnancy high blood pressure may cause a rare condition called preeclampsia. Such symptoms can be a warning sign of preeclampsia. Headaches which are caused by high blood pressure are persistent as well as throbbing. Preeclampsia occurs only in 5-10% of pregnancies.

Potential Ways of treating headaches

• Some headaches get triggered by low blood sugar. You can prevent any such bouts of decreased blood sugar by not missing meals and carrying high-energy snacks always with you.
• Drinking plenty of water - since dehydration may cause headaches.
• Whenever possible, avoid noisy restaurants, loud music, packed parties and crowded departmental stores.
• Ensure that the environment is healthy. Overheated, smoke-filled unventilated rooms trigger headaches. Also, make sure that your home and workspace have enough natural lighting.
• Go for a brisk walk.
• Rest (but not too much, sometimes too much rest can worsen overall symptoms)
• Meditation and yoga help you relax and decrease the effects of tension headaches.
• Try lying down in a dark and quiet room with your feet up for about ten to 15 minutes.
• Acupuncture, biofeedback and massage have been showing to bring some relief from headache.
• Alternating hot and cold compresses to the aching area for about ten minutes can alleviate some of the pain.
• Cut a lemon into wedges and you can suck the juice out of wedges.
• Avoid taking any kind of drugs while pregnant.