Pregnancy is the time in which women are extraordinarily apprehensive and full of excitement. They keep pondering that a little newborn is going to bring such an enormous amount of happiness in her life. Pregnancy brings plenty of changes in a woman’s body. It likewise prompts various inconveniences, most likely headaches. Truly, experiencing headaches while pregnant is as normal as experiencing queasiness, fatigue, or morning sickness.
Headaches during pregnancy are no less than a nightmare. Headaches may happen any time during pregnancy, yet they will, in general, be progressively regular during the first and third trimesters. In case you are pregnant and experience this symptom during your pregnancy, you can use home remedies to get rid of this, or you can always consult your doctor.
Are headaches common during pregnancy?
Hormonal changes occurring in your body triggers headaches, due to which headaches are really common during pregnancy. Headaches are most frequent during the first trimester. They usually subside in the following trimesters or when the pregnancy hormones start getting in balance.
Causes of headaches during pregnancy:
1. Blood pressure:
Any kind of fluctuation in blood pressure can cause severe headaches.
2. Migraine:
If you had to have migraines even before your pregnancy, then it is most likely to happen during your pregnancy as well.
3. Pregnancy indicators:
Hunger, dehydration, lack of exercise, and fatigue are the primary symptoms of pregnancy. These symptoms can sometimes be the reason for headaches during pregnancy.
4. Caffeine intake:
Headaches during pregnancy can be a side effect of too much caffeine intake. If you are a coffee addict, and you suddenly stop your caffeine consumption, then it can cause headaches during pregnancy as a drawl symptom.
5. Sinus congestion:
Sinus congestion sometimes results in causing pain behind the area of your cheekbones. This pain can trigger a headache, as well. Moreover, pressure changes can cause eye strain around the eyes. This eye strain leads to headaches and can affect eyesight as well during pregnancy.
6. Pregnancy hormones:
During pregnancy, there can be a sudden surge in your pregnancy hormones. This surge of pregnancy hormones such as low blood sugar level, increase in blood volume, lack of sleep, tension, dehydration, constipation, dietary insufficiency (particularly in iron, magnesium, and calcium), any kind of food allergy and not enough protein intake can trigger headaches during pregnancy.
7. Change in posture:
Posture and ligament changes are natural to occur all through the pregnancy. They can be another reason for headaches during pregnancy.
8. Stress:
Stress can cause tension headaches. Tension headaches cause pain on both sides of the Head. They make you feel tight more than throbbing.
9. Dehydration:
Dehydration during pregnancy causes pain around the nape of your neck that is the base of your skull.
What symptoms do headaches during pregnancy show?
Headaches during pregnancy can be a symptom or accompany with many different problems.
- Liver dysfunctions.
- Thrombocytopenia, which is a relative decrease in the blood platelet levels.
- Sensitivity to light.
- The abundance of protein in the urine, also known as Proteinuria.
- Kidney related issues.
- Vomiting, and nausea.
- Trouble in breathing because of water in the lungs.
- Diminished urine output.
Types of headaches during pregnancy:
1. Tension headaches:
Tension headaches are non-stop and crushing pain either at the rear of the neck or on both sides of the Head. These kinds of headaches cause tightening of muscles in the shoulders, neck, jaw, and scalp.
The main causes of tension headaches are depression, stress, or anxiety. However, alcohol consumption, work pressure, and skipped meals can also cause tension headaches.
2. Sinus headaches:
Although sinus headaches are not very common during pregnancy, they can be a result of any respiratory infection or nasal congestion. They mainly cause pain in the cheeks, forehead area, or around the eyes.
3. Cluster headaches:
Cluster headaches are very rare to happen during pregnancy. A breakdown of the hypothalamus causes the amplification of carotid veins. It causes a lot of pressure on the trigeminal nerves, which cause abrupt and extreme pain around one eye, stuffy nose, or teary eyes.
Cluster headaches typically happen at a similar time every day. They can last from a couple of hours to weeks and even months.
4. Migraine:
Lack of sleep, dehydration, stress, or hormonal changes are the leading causes of migraines during pregnancy. It causes throbbing pain on one side of the Head.
Moreover, it can cause vomiting, nausea, weakness, visual disturbances, numbness, and sensitivity to light. It can last for four or more than four hours.
Home remedies to get rid of headaches during pregnancy:
It is better to stick with home remedies to get rid of headaches during pregnancy. Do not take any medicine during pregnancy without consulting your doctor. The following are some home remedies that can help you get rid of mild and severe headaches without any medication.
Non-pharmacological headache treatments:
1. Acupuncture and acupressure:
Acupuncture and acupressure (Needle therapy and pressure point massage) animate the pressure points of your body. It helps in easing the intensifying headaches. Additionally, needle therapy is useful for alleviating migraines and tension headaches.
Here is some pressure that can help you get rid of headaches during pregnancy:
2. Forehead region:
The forehead and facial pressure points are full of vitality. Stimulation of these points can help in diminishing migraines.
Press the nose bridge between the eyebrows. It will help get rid of ulcer pains, headaches, and eye strain.
Drilling bamboo or bright light is present beneath the third eye point at the inward corner of the eyes. Stimulate this point, and you will get instant relief from a sinus headache.
3. Temple region:
This area has pressure points present on the upper corner of the ear. Stimulate the points according to their group, such as Hairline curve, Valley lead, Celestial hub, Floating white and Head portal yin. And you will get relief from your headache.
4. Face Region:
The pressure points are on either side of the nostril, underneath the cheekbones. Animating these points opens sinus and causes a reduction in toothaches, tension headaches, migraines, and eye fatigue.
5. Neck Region:
The pressure points present around the neck region helps significantly in alleviating migraines and tension headaches. Invigorating the midpoint between your ears behind the Head gives help from torment in eyes, ears, and throat, unblocks nasal blockage, and mitigates migraine and headache.
6. Hand Region:
Pressing the soft spot between your index finger and thumb helps to get rid of back pain, toothache, and frontal headaches.
7. Foot Region:
Utilize these two pressure points for treating headaches.
- Bigger rushing: Apply pressure on the highest point of your foot on the valley between the first and second toe, to get alleviation from joint inflammation, headaches, foot cramps, and eye tiredness.
- Above tears: Located an inch over the webbing (delicate skin) of your fourth and fifth toes, this point offers help from water retention, hip pain, sciatica, shoulder, and tension headaches.
1. Aromatherapy:
Put some drops of peppermint oil or lavender oil on a tissue paper or a cloth piece and smell it whenever you feel pain. You can also rub these oil on your temple or the forehead.
2. Biofeedback:
The biofeedback strategy utilizes instruments that can quantify the physiological activities occurring in your body. Cathodes are placed on the patient’s neck region or forehead for measuring muscle strain. As the tension builds, the EMG screen increases the noise.
It gauges the brainwaves, assesses your behavior at that specific minute, and gives back the data that helps you comprehend the reason for the torment. It helps you to deal with the headaches during pregnancy.
3. Homeopathy:
You can try using homeopathic treatment to treat moderate headaches. Make sure to consult a certified and experienced homeopath.
4. Osteopathy and chiropractic:
Osteopathy functions admirably in case your headache is because of neck or shoulder pain. It explicitly deals with the pressure points of your body and realigns your joints, muscles, and bones.
Another method for treating a migraine is chiropractic treatment, which utilizes spinal control to treat serious cerebral pains. It includes realigning the cervical vertebrae. The same number of nerves go through the upper cervical locale, any injury to this territory cause cluster headaches, migraines, and tension headaches.
5. Reflexology:
The reflexology technique works best for minor headaches. It helps in decreasing the headache recurrence.
For a minor migraine, the reflexology method functions admirably. It helps in decreasing the repeat of migraines. It targets animating the pressure points on your hands, ears, and feet with a delicate massage. Make sure to get the treatment from a specialist.
Natural remedies:
1. Drinking Lots of Water:
Drinking a lot of water can help get rid of headaches during pregnancy. It is crucial to stay hydrated during pregnancy, to keep your body stimulated and guarantee the legitimate circulation of catalysts and proteins. Drinking 8 ounces of water every day will keep you away from headaches.
2. Using a Cold Compress:
Expansion of blood vessels can lead to headaches during pregnancy. A cold compress can be a great help in contracting the cells and tightening the blood vessels. It will subsequently help in reducing the torment. You can also use an ice pack or make it at home. All you will need is a bowl of cold water and a clean towel. Dip the towel in the cold water bowl and squeeze out the extra water. Lie down and place the towel on your eyes and forehead. Press it delicately with your fingertips. A cold compress works greatly in providing relief from headaches such as migraines.
3. Using a Hot Compress:
Contraction of veins can prompt low blood dissemination, which may additionally cause cerebral pains during pregnancy. You can use a hot compress just like a cold compress. A hot compress expands the blood vessels and increases the blood flow towards the brain. Hot compress is the best way to treat tension headaches. All you will need is a bowl of hot water and a clean towel. Dip the towel in hot water. Apply this towel on the base of your neck and forehead for alleviation.
4. Eat some ginger:
Ginger is known to be the best natural remedy for treating nausea. It additionally goes about as an appropriate solution for cerebral pains during pregnancy as it treats migraines. Ginger blocks prostaglandins, which invigorate muscle contraction and, in this way, forestalls migraines. If you don’t like raw ginger, then you can also make some ginger tea at home. It works the same in treating headaches.
5. Practice some yoga or take a nap:
Lack of sleep and rest can trigger migraines and headaches. So in case you have a headache because of inadequate rest, make sure to sleep for some time. It will make you feel good. You can sleep for a longer time if that makes you feel good or better.
Yoga can help you release stress along with its multiple advantages. Yoga will help bring down your stress and assist you with resting better. It will likewise ensure that your body gets the necessary exercise during pregnancy.
6. Use Peppermint Oil:
Peppermint oil has a cooling impact on the skin and diminishes stress. It likewise decreases headache sensitivity. Take some drops of the peppermint oil in your palms and rub your palms for one to two minutes. You can also apply it on your forehead and massage for a few seconds. Doing this before going to sleep gives more positive outcomes.
7. Use Omega-3 Oil:
Omega 3 unsaturated fats that are present in fatty fish helps in reducing the duration and intensity of headache. Moreover, including some oil in your diet helps in lessening the inflammation. Olive oil and canola oil in diet can increase the utilization of omega-3 oil. On the other hand, you can also take omega-3 fatty acid pills.
8. Drink Lemon Juice:
Lemon juice has various advantages, and relieving headaches is one of them. It likewise helps in improving the immune system and getting rid of stomach cramps.
Pregnancy can cause a decrease in Vitamin C levels in the body, which causes headaches. Lemon additionally flushes out the body toxins and improves blood circulation.
9. Taking a shower:
Cold showers can give brief and fast alleviation from migraines. In any event, sprinkling cold water on the face can help to get relief from migraines. Besides, a warm shower with Epsom salt for 15 minutes can help reduce headaches during pregnancy.
10. Steam inhalation:
Breathing in the steam from a skillet of heated water mitigates blockage by clearing the sinus and gives you alleviation from a cerebral pain. You can likewise ask your primary care physician for a nasal decongestant, which is safe to use while pregnant. Streaming mucus will hinder blockage, in this way limiting any sinus issues during pregnancy.
When should you see a doctor?
- Before taking any drugs, not all medicines are safe to be taken during pregnancy.
- Extreme cerebral pains beginning after the 6th month can be an indication of toxemia or preeclampsia.
- In case your headaches are deteriorating day by day.
- You are experiencing headaches that are more severe than normal headaches.
- Your headaches accompany weight gain, swelling in face and hands, pain in the upper abdomen, and blurry vision.
- Your Head hurts after reading or looking at the computer screen.
- You get a severe headache as soon as you wake up.
It is safer to consult a doctor if any of this situation occurs during your pregnancy period. Take care of yourself and your baby. Do not stress too much. Eat healthy and nutritious food. Consult your doctor immediately in case of any emergency.
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