Dealing with Headaches during Pregnancy

Headaches during pregnancy can be a nuisance, and you cannot treat it with aspirin like how you used to before. Know how you can deal with it safely.

Tension headaches are a common occurrence in pregnant women. Women with a history of recurring headaches are more prone to headaches during pregnancy. These headaches are characterised by a throbbing pain on either one side or both sides of the forehead. The back of the head is also suspect to headaches. Headaches during pregnancy are a result of the rapid hormonal changes that the body undergoes and therefore, the propensity of headaches is at its highest during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Prescription Drugs

Most prescription drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen are off limits for pregnant women. Some medical practitioners are of the opinion that acetaminophen can be taken by pregnant women. If you need to pop a pill for dealing with the headache, make sure you consult your gynaecologist/obstetrician first.

Showers

Showers are a great way of dealing with headaches during pregnancy. A cold shower will soothe you and a hot bath will relax you. Make sure you do not use scalding hot water though as it may harm the foetus.

Cold and Hot Compress

If you have a sudden onslaught of headache during pregnancy, put a cold or hot compress on your forehead. It will provide you instant but temporary relief.

Sleep

Lack of sleep during pregnancy is one of the leading causes of headaches. Make you get enough sleep and also nap between intervals to provide relief to the body.

Keep Stress and Depression at Bay

Stress and depression during pregnancy can lead to nagging headaches. Keep yourself busy. Indulge in activities that interest you and will keep your spirits up. In case you are feeling that knot in the stomach about an issue that is plaguing you; talk about it. You can talk to your partner or someone in the family. The appearance of constant headaches will surely be abated.

Massage

Indulge in a luxurious massage. Consult a prenatal massage therapist for the same. Or if you want, you can just call for any message therapist. A full body massage focusing on the head will relieve you of the pain. This way of dealing with headaches during pregnancy will yield positive results for some and some might not see any visible relief.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is considered safe during pregnancy. Although its actual benefits when it comes to dealing with headaches during pregnancy are not etched in stone, you can still try it. If nothing, acupuncture will soothe and relax you!

Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

Lack of proper nutrition and dehydration are major reasons of headaches during pregnancy. Maintain a healthy diet consisting of enough fruits, vegetables and lean meat. Avoid foods that contain monosodium glutamate as it can trigger a headache. Also remember to stay fit to keep fatigue away. Light exercises such as jogging, and using the exercise ball during pregnancy will keep you fit and it will also keep strenuous headaches far away.

Keep Your Doctor Updated

This is the important thing that you need o do in case the headaches keep reappearing. Mostly headaches during pregnancy are harmless but sometimes they are an indicator of some complication. For example, a headache during the third trimester might be a symptom of preeclampsia. Therefore, keeping a diary regarding the appearance of headaches and regularly consulting your doctor are important steps in dealing with headaches during pregnancy.

If at any point you feel that your eyes are straining and you have a headache after reading or looking at the computer screen then you must get your eyes checked. There could be varied reasons for a headache, an eyesight problem cannot be ruled out.

Read more articles on Problems During Pregnancy