Severe headache during pregnancy: causes and what to do

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Sometimes it happens that a very bad headache during pregnancy. Especially this condition is typical for 12-18 weeks. The big problem is that many drugs are prohibited during pregnancy.

If a headache often appears, then you should definitely consult a doctor so that he can determine the cause of such a problem and prescribe the appropriate treatment that will not harm the expectant mother and baby.

Migraine

If your head hurts a lot during pregnancy, then this may be a sign of a migraine. Experts say that every fifth woman suffers from this disease at least once. Most migraine occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy.

This causes moderate to very severe throbbing pain, mostly on only one side of the head. It can bother a woman for 4-72 hours and increases with increased physical activity. Often, migraine is accompanied by other symptoms, namely, nausea, increased sensitivity to noise and light, and vomiting.

Usome women have such severe headaches during pregnancy that visual disturbances, hypersensitivity or numbness, impaired speech, and weakness appear. Similar symptoms may appear an hour before a migraine. This disease is very dangerous because various complications can also occur.

Causes of discomfort

Many women are interested in why the head hurts during pregnancy and for what reasons there is such a violation. These can be diseases, physiological changes and external provoking factors. Some diseases are the root cause of the onset of malaise. These should include such as:

• migraine;
• cervical osteochondrosis;
• anemia;
• brain tumors.

It is possible to answer the question of why a headache during pregnancy is only possible after a diagnosis and examination by a doctor. This disease is inherited and develops due to a violation of vascular tone. It can be recognized by signs such as:

• blurred vision and photophobia;
• one-sided pain;
• appearance of an aura in the form of flashes of light;
• nausea and vomiting;
• pulsing sensation inside the head.

This disease can manifest itself in completely different ways. An attack of pain can be for a short period of time or for several days. A pregnant woman must absolutely understand that attacks can be repeated regularly. Stress, excessive overwork, music, loud noises can provoke an attack.sounds.

Severe headache during pregnancy in case of cervical osteochondrosis. This is a fairly common disease associated with a long stay in an uncomfortable position. Usually in the early stages, the head hurts precisely because of this disease. During the period of bearing a baby in women, the redistribution of body weight changes, due to which a serious load is placed on the spine. As a result of the muscles being in constant tension, pregnant women with osteochondrosis experience headaches.

The appearance of neoplasms is often associated with hormonal changes in the body, which provoke their growth. These include pituitary adenoma, choriocarcinoma, melanoma and breast cancer.

Answering the question of why the head hurts very much during pregnancy, we can say that this often happens due to physiological changes. In most cases, due to hormonal changes, which affect the condition of the walls of blood vessels. As a result, discomfort begins. If in the first trimester the headache is intermittent, then this is considered normal and no medical intervention is required.

External factors that lead to headaches include eye strain, physical activity, long trips, and being in a stuffy room.

Main symptoms

When exerting, there is a monotonous dull pain. It looks like the head is tied with a tight band. Often women say that soreness spreads from the neck to the back of the head,eye area. On palpation, pain points can be detected. There may be nausea, but no vomiting. The duration of such pain is from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours.

Migraines can last up to several days. In this case, there are severe throbbing pains in one half of the head, spreading to the eyes. Soreness is accompanied by nausea, sometimes there may be vomiting. Before an attack, there may be blurred vision, visual and auditory hallucinations, a change in taste.

If you have problems with blood vessels, your head hurts and you feel sick. Pregnancy can provoke an increase in negative symptoms. In the case of a hypertensive crisis, there is a feeling of heaviness in the frontal lobe, weakness, and the skin becomes bluish.

Providing treatment

If my head hurts a lot during pregnancy, what should I do? Only the attending physician can accurately answer this question. However, you can relieve unpleasant symptoms without resorting to medication. Initially, you need to try to accurately determine the source of pain, this makes it possible to say what provoked the onset of the disease. Most often it is caused by certain foods. In addition, a strong smell, noise, bright light can be a provoking factor. It is important to try to eliminate the cause.

In the case of a tension headache, a warm or cold compress can be applied to the back of the head at the base of the skull. Sometimes cold showers can help with a migraine. If this is not possible, then you can simply rinse your face with cold water.

It is quite common to get severe headaches during pregnancy due to low blood sugar. Therefore, to maintain it, you need to eat small portions, as well as avoid hunger and thirst. You need to drink in small sips, especially with migraines and nausea.

It is important to try to do everything in order to be as tired as possible. It is important to rest more often, sleep more. Regular exercise reduces the frequency and intensity of headaches. With a migraine, you need to do them slowly and little by little, since a sharp increase in activity can only increase discomfort. Especially useful will be exercises aimed at maintaining posture in the third trimester.

When your head hurts a lot during pregnancy, you can try to apply relaxation techniques, in particular, yoga, meditation, self-hypnosis. Such techniques are quite effective and are very popular with women during pregnancy.

If there are no contraindications, you can sign up for a full body massage. This will help relieve tension from the muscles. If this is not possible, then you can rub your shoulders and back yourself.

What drugs can I take?

When my head hurts during pregnancy, what should I do? Many women are interested in this issue, since such a condition causes considerable discomfort. Medicines must be selected by the doctor after the diagnosis. This is very important, since many drugs can harm the child, disrupting his development and causing many defects. If it hurts a lothead during pregnancy, you can use drugs such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen.

"Paracetamol" is considered the safest remedy during gestation and is not addictive. If you have a headache during pregnancy, then a single dosage should be no more than 0.5 g. However, the daily dose must be discussed with your doctor.

The drug "Ibuprofen" is allowed to be taken in the first and second trimester. In the third, it is strictly prohibited, as it affects the amniotic fluid. These medicines should be taken after eating to avoid irritating the stomach lining.

Glycine will help reduce psycho-emotional stress and the manifestation of vegetative-vascular dystonia. It normalizes sleep, improves mood, increases mental performance. It is good to take "Glycine" for prevention with frequent headaches, which are the result of instability of the nervous system, constant stress, irritability, hard mental work.

In case of overexcitation of the nervous system and sleep disorders, Valerian tablets are prescribed. For one application, it is shown to drink up to 4 pieces. If the tension headache cannot be eliminated by folk methods, then you need to take 1-2 No-Shpy tablets.

Folk treatments

Many are interested in how to eliminate a headache without resorting to medication. To do this, you can use the methods of alternative medicine. Such methods help to get rid of malaise, but withthey are completely harmless to the body.

For a quick normalization of well-being, you can simply wash your face with cool water. It is also recommended to apply an ice pack or apply a damp towel to the temples and forehead.

An herbal decoction made with chamomile and mint works well. To eliminate headaches, cabbage leaves can be applied to the forehead. Before use, they need to be slightly mashed until the juice begins to stand out. Then prepare a compress and keep until you feel better.

Aromatherapy has a good result. To do this, you can take the oil of ylang-ylang, juniper, lavender and place it in an aroma lamp, and can also be used for inhalation. In the absence of contraindications, baths with aromatic oils help well.

First trimester headache

This is a very important and crucial period, as there is a hormonal restructuring of the body and the laying of the organs of the fetus. Severe headache in early pregnancy, mainly due to reduced pressure. To be sure of this, you just need to measure it. If the pressure is really low, then you need to drink a cup of sweet tea, preferably weak black, and lie down to rest.

If at the 10th week of pregnancy the head hurts a lot and the pain is often observed or even intensifies, then a neurologist's consultation is required. This can be a sign of dangerous diseases and requires specialized treatment.

Second trimester headache

The likelihood of severe seizures inthis period is much rarer. If you still have a severe headache at the 12th week of pregnancy, then you need to measure the pressure. During this period, discomfort occurs not only against the background of its decrease, but also due to its increase. If the expectant mother is weather sensitive, then she may experience soreness when the weather changes.

If at the 14th week of pregnancy you have a severe headache, then you can help in the same ways as in the first trimester. Namely, drink sweet tea and lie down to rest.

Third trimester headache

This can be a very dangerous symptom. In the third trimester, a headache indicates an increase in pressure. In addition, this is one of the signs of preeclampsia - a dangerous condition for a woman's life.

That is why, when a headache occurs, you should immediately measure the pressure. If it is higher than 130/90 mm Hg. Art., then you need to immediately consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

What drugs are prohibited?

During pregnancy, it is undesirable to take drugs such as:

• "Analgin";
• "Nimesulide";
• "Aspirin";
• "Diclofenac";
• Ketorolac.

These drugs in early pregnancy can cause heart defects in the baby. If taken at a later date, they affect blood coagulation, which is very dangerous for a woman who is preparing for childbirth.

When do you need to see a doctor urgently?

Headaches are a symptom that is oftenindicates the course of a violation in the body. If a woman feels unwell, then in the early days you just need to rest more and observe your well-being. If the pain is present for a long time, then you need to contact a neurologist.

When there is constant discomfort, it is very bad for the he alth of the fetus. That is why the doctor should diagnose and determine the cause of this condition as soon as possible. The expectant mother must be alerted by such signs as:

• blurred vision, hearing loss;
• nausea, edema formation, increased pressure;
• Feeling of numbness in limbs;
• appearance of a headache from a runny nose.

All these symptoms can indicate sinusitis, preeclampsia, high blood pressure, vein thrombosis, tumor formation in the brain. When they are detected, the expectant mother should immediately seek qualified help. An emergency delivery may be required to save the woman's life. The sooner a pregnant woman turns to a specialist, the greater the likelihood of a favorable outcome.

Prophylaxis

To prevent the frequent occurrence of a headache, a pregnant woman needs to seriously approach the issue of prevention. It is recommended that the expectant mother keep a diary in which to note all cases of headaches, as well as the circumstances that preceded their occurrence. With the help of the available data, the specialist will be able to identify the irritant and eliminate it.

Besides, you will have tofollow the recommendations that prevent the occurrence of seizures. They include:

• regular walk in the fresh air, as well as airing the room;
• normalization of the daily routine so that waking up and going to bed are at about the same time;
• avoid overexertion, take a break when tired;
• do some light exercise every 30 minutes while working at the computer;
• eat properly and regularly;
• eat small meals;
• food should consist of natural products;
• avoid stuffy or smoky rooms;
• observe drinking regimen;
• avoid stress and not be nervous.

Often a headache during pregnancy is not a manifestation of a serious illness. If the expectant mother strictly observes the rules of prevention, then the discomfort ceases to bother her. However, with frequent headaches, you should immediately consult a specialist. It will determine why this is happening and help protect the pregnant woman and child from any adverse effects.