Headache during pregnancy: where it comes from and how to get rid of

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Sometimes you just need to sleep, and sometimes you need to immediately call an ambulance.

When to call an ambulance

Dial 103 or 112 urgently if the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Tension Headache have the following symptoms:

• the head suddenly and sharply ached;
• the consciousness of Preeclampsia becomes confused or completely lost;
• pain intensifies within 5 minutes;
• flies, spots flicker in the eyes;
• throbbing and making noise in the ears;
• speech has become slurred, words are stretched;
• arms and legs weaken, convulsions began;
• the muscles of the neck are severely constrained Meningitis, it is impossible to reach the chest with the chin;
• the temperature of the ALGORITHM for providing emergency medical care outside the medical organization has risen 39 ° C and above;
• increased heartbeat at rest;
• there was severe shortness of breath;
• the child pushes without stopping or abruptly calms down;
• leaking High blood pressure and pregnancy: Know the facts of water or blood;
• the lower abdomen hurts, as if labor has begun.

Why pregnant women can have headaches

Pregnancy headaches are not always life threatening. But the doctor should be told about it in any case. If the symptom appears for the first time and does not hurt much, postpone the conversation until the scheduled visit. For recurring or worsening headaches, it is best to make an appointment as early as possible. The gynecologist will decide what to do or refer you to another doctor.

There are many reasons for headaches. Scientists found out Characteristics and diagnoses of acute headache in pregnant women - a retrospective cross-sectional study that in pregnant women in 57% of cases it is primary, that is, not associated with other diseases. Most often it is migraine and tension headache.

Everything else is a secondary headache caused by various pathologies. This is usually high blood pressure and infections. But there are also more dangerous reasons.

1. Stress and fatigue

The body of a pregnant woman is experiencing increased stress, because it must work for two. If, at the same time, the expectant mother is exposed to stress, strong feelings or sleeps little, she will receive Clinical Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Tension Headache Tension Headache.

The unpleasant sensations last from 30 minutes to several days. The head hurts in the forehead, occiput, both temples. But there is no feeling that they have put on a tight hoop or helmet. The pain does not get worse when bending, walking or climbing stairs, because of bright light or sounds.

What to do

Tension headache can go away on its own: just go out into the open air or get some sleep. Sometimes pleasant emotions help, which distract from worries.

If the pain recurs 2-3 days in a row, you need to see a doctor. He will select pain relievers that are safe for the child.

2. Taking medications

Any medication that gets into the stomach or blood can cause headaches even when the correct dosage is taken. In pregnant women, this often happens due to drugs for high blood pressure, heart disease, antibiotics, anticonvulsants.

If you drink non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for headaches for a long time, you may get the opposite effect: the tablets do not remove, but provoke symptoms.

What to do

If your head hurts a few hours after taking the medication, you need to see your doctor so that he changes the medication. Do not drink non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for more than 3-5 days. If they do not help, you need to tell the doctor about it.

3. Love or rejection of coffee

Headache during pregnancy can be caused by coffee Drug-induced headache: management of the patient. Unpleasant symptoms occur if you drink more than 3-4 cups a day.

Abruptly avoiding coffee is also harmful. It is worth learning about pregnancy and stopping brewing a fragrant drink, and after 1-2 days a Caffeine-withdrawal headache will appear in the temples and the back of the head. The Vågå study of headache epidemiology aching pain.

What to do

It is better to refuse coffee Caffeine and adaptive changes in the circulatory system during pregnancy during pregnancy. If a headache appears a day after that, you can drink a small cup of the drink and wait a day again. Gradually, the addiction to coffee will disappear.

Coffee lovers can reduce their intake of Caffeine to 1–2 cups a day.

4. Infection with fever

In acute viral (usually ARVI) or bacterial (for example, streptococcal sore throat) infections, the body temperature rises and a headache appears. This is a normal reaction to foreign microorganisms.

But for pregnant women, any infection is dangerous. The role of infection in miscarriage. It can cause fetal malformations, developmental delay, and even miscarriage. And with meningitis, especially listeria, there is a threat to the life of the mother.

What to do

If you have a headache with a temperature, you need to call a doctor. He will prescribe safe medications or refer you to the hospital if a serious infection is suspected. In this case, Meningitis needs strong antibiotics, droppers to maintain the body and sometimes hormones.

5. Gestosis and preeclampsia

After 20 weeks, pregnant women may develop gestosis. This disease is GESTOSIS: THEORY AND PRACTICE, in which one of three symptoms or a combination of them may appear: high blood pressure, edema and protein in the urine.

Without proper treatment, preeclampsia turns into preeclampsia Preeclampsia. The pressure rises sharply, the head and lower abdomen ache unbearably, the baby pushes unusually hard or, on the contrary, the Placental abruption suddenly subsides. Preeclampsia can lead to placental abruption, damage to the liver and other organs, bleeding, and even seizures. Without urgent medical attention, the fetus and the mother die.

What to do

When the first signs of gestosis appear, the pregnant woman is hospitalized in order to choose a treatment. After that, she is discharged home under the supervision of her gynecologist.

But if the state of health worsens, the doctor again directs the woman to the Preeclampsia hospital, where she is prescribed drugs to reduce pressure, special droppers to maintain the body's work. If there is no improvement during the day, a cesarean section is performed.

6. Migraine

One of the causes of Migraine migraines is changes in estrogen levels. But the disease very rarely appears due to pregnancy. On the contrary, in 70% of women, the symptoms are sharply reduced. Migraine and pregnancy: a particular example of the course of the disease after conception. And yet migraine plagues many Migraine.

It can begin with an aura: flashes of light, spots in front of the eyes, tingling in the hands or numbness in half of the face, sometimes tinnitus. Each symptom can last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour.

After the aura, a migraine attack develops. At the same time, one side of the head hurts and throbs, and nausea or vomiting appears. A woman is annoyed by bright light, loud sounds, smells. They make the pain worse.

The attacks last from a few hours to a week or more. After a migraine, there is a feeling of severe fatigue, exhaustion, and an awkward turn of the head can return the pain.

What to do

Any medication for migraine during pregnancy should be prescribed by a doctor. In some cases, drugs such as Headache in Pregnancy and the Puerperium, a beta-blocker, are used.

Studies have shown Migraine and pregnancy: a particular example of the course of the disease, that often migraines in pregnant women are associated with a lack of magnesium. The doctor will help you choose the appropriate type of vitamin and mineral complex and its dosage.

7. Diseases of the cerebral vessels

In some pregnant women, due to hormone problems, blood clotting increases, and this increases the risk of Headache and pregnancy: a systematic review of thrombosis, stroke or meningeal hemorrhage. These conditions are very dangerous: a woman can die within a few minutes or be left disabled.

Vascular lesions are always accompanied by several symptoms:

• sharp headache on one side;
• nausea and vomiting;
• blurred vision;
• loss of consciousness;
• convulsions.

What to do

Call an ambulance urgently. The pregnant woman must be laid down or seated so that she does not hit when she falls. You cannot give medicine! You can only open a window so that there is more air in the room.

What treatment the doctor prescribes for Headache and pregnancy: a systematic review depends on the specific disease. These can be drugs that reduce blood clotting and dissolve blood clots. In some cases, an urgent operation is needed.

8. Brain tumors

Research shows Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management Strategy of Meningioma during Pregnancy that progesterone and estrogens during pregnancy can trigger or accelerate the growth of neoplasms in the brain. Symptoms appear slowly over several months and depend on the size and location of the tumor.

The headache can gradually intensify Brain tumor, then vision, speech, hearing deteriorate, limbs become numb and convulsions appear. Sometimes it is difficult for a woman to maintain her balance.

What to do

If a pregnant woman often has a headache or forgets what she wanted to buy in the store and how to cook her favorite borscht, confuses the way home, you need to go to a neurologist. First, he will prescribe standard treatment, simple and safe medications, rest, good sleep.

If this does not help, the symptoms do not disappear or worsen, a deep examination will be needed. The pregnant woman will be sent for an MRI of the brain. This procedure is safe for the fetus. If the diagnosis is confirmed, surgery may be required.

What to do if the doctor cannot find the cause of the pain

If you have been examined and the doctor cannot tell why you have a headache and diagnoses vegetative-vascular dystonia, this is a reason to be wary. This disease does not exist.

See another doctor. Perhaps he is using new diagnostic methods that will help to deal with the problem and choose a treatment.

How to avoid pregnancy headaches

Experts recommend What can I do about headaches during pregnancy? I'd rather not take medication. following:

• Avoid triggers. For example, if you notice that certain foods, smells, or situations are causing headaches, try not to bump into them.
• Protect yourself from stress, do not worry about trifles.
• Move more. During pregnancy, take a walk every day in the fresh air and do special exercises for expectant mothers.
• Correct Pregnancy nutrition: Healthy-eating basics to eat. Try to eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, fermented milk products, drink at least 2.4 liters of liquid. Fish, poultry, or lean meat should be on the menu every day. And it is better not to buy sweets, fast food and other junk food.
• Observe Working during pregnancy: Do's and don’ts daily routine. You need to sleep at least 8 hours a day and go to bed no later than 22-23 hours for melatonin to be produced normally.
• Learn to relax. Learn simple meditation techniques or breathing exercises.