Headache during pregnancy

Headache during pregnancy is the reason for strong feelings for a woman. If you can take any medications before pregnancy, during pregnancy, the expectant mother has to limit herself in many medicines. Before treating a headache during pregnancy, you should always consult your doctor. So, why there is a headache during pregnancy, how to treat it and what kind of prevention should be done?

[1], [2], [3]

Causes of headache during pregnancy

Strengthening the headache in the first trimester of pregnancy, according to doctors, is caused by a surge of hormones, as well as an increase in the volume of blood circulating throughout the body. Severe headaches during pregnancy can be aggravated by stress, poor posture or changes in the daily regimen. Other causes of headache during pregnancy may include the following:

• Lack of sleep
• Low blood sugar
• Dehydration
• Caffeine - excessive doses
• Stress (too many changes in lifestyle)

Headaches during the third trimester of pregnancy are usually associated with impaired posture and spinal strain due to additional weight. Headaches during the third trimester of pregnancy can also be caused by pre-eclampsia, that is, toxicosis in severe form, the consequence of which is high blood pressure.

[4], [5], [6]

Statistics of headache during pregnancy

More than 80% of women sooner or later complain of a headache during pregnancy. If even before pregnancy the woman was absolutely healthy, then during the carrying out of the child her headaches become more frequent. Sometimes they become strong, one that is difficult to endure. Headaches can occur at any time during pregnancy, but they are usually most common during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Migraine in Pregnancy

Migraine is a headache that can cause severe suffering in a woman. It can be so strong that vomiting, weakness, partial loss of vision occurs, a woman becomes better only in a dark room, isolated from any sounds. The headache associated with migraine during pregnancy often occurs in one part of the head.

Pain with migraine can last several hours. If they are not treated, the pain can last a whole day or even two. Migraine is a fairly unpredictable disease, especially during pregnancy, so you need to establish control over it.

Causes of migraine

The exact cause that causes migraine headaches is unknown. But doctors believe that migraine, apparently, is associated with changes in nerve receptors, the exchange of neurochemical substances and increased blood flow to the brain.

Researchers believe that excessively excited brain cells stimulate the release of chemicals. These substances irritate the blood vessels located on the surface of the brain. Irritation causes blood vessels to swell and stimulate pain syndrome.

Estrogen, according to doctors, also plays an important role in the development of migraine. That's why in pregnancy, menstruation and menopause, a deficiency or an overabundance of the hormone estrogen often causes headaches.

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Keeping a diary of a pregnant woman and tracking migraine provokers

A pregnant woman is not always under the supervision of a doctor. Therefore, it is important for her to make a complete picture of her headaches. To do this, experts recommend keeping a diary. It should write down important information that will make for the doctor a picture of the appearance of a migraine more clear.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy are not the only thing that can cause a migraine. Most women suffer from a combination of irritants that cause migraine headaches. For example, stress, missed meals, lack or lack of sleep can cause migraines. And here's another important point: what causes migraines today, may not disturb the pregnant woman at all the next day.

A diary of a headache will help the future mother to track irritants and the way pain is repeated. This will help the doctor decide which treatment will work best to reduce specific pain symptoms. It will also help to recognize those irritants that can be avoided during pregnancy.

Every time a pregnant woman has a headache, it is necessary to write down the following:

1. Specific symptoms: where there is pain, what is the nature of this pain, are there other symptoms, such as vomiting or sensitivity to noise, smells, bright light
2. When the headache begins and ends (time of day, duration)
3. What foods and drinks the pregnant woman ate and drank for two days before the onset of migraine, were there any new types of food in the diet
4. Any changes in the environment, such as travel, moving to a new place, changing weather,
5. Any treatment that the pregnant woman used itself, whether it helped or made the headache worse

Products that can provoke a headache (migraine) in a pregnant woman

• Chocolate
• Caffeine
• Products that contain preservatives (sodium glutamate) and nitrates
• Aspartame - a substitute for sugar in chocolate, cakes and sweets

Diagnosis of migraine for pregnant women

Headaches caused by complications during pregnancy, the doctor can better diagnose, if he provide the information that was recorded in the diary. In addition, it would be important for the doctor to know whether someone suffered from migraine in the patient's family (mother, grandmother).

CT and other tests that involve X-rays are not recommended during pregnancy because of the potential risk to the fetus.

[8], [9]

Medications for migraine in pregnant women

Headache during pregnancy treatment involves spongy. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant in the near future, the doctor first of all will advise you to stay away from medications. Before you take them, you will have to carefully weigh the effect of the drug on your unborn child.

Many medications against migraine during pregnancy should be avoided - because they are associated with congenital defects in children. Some other medicines may adversely affect the course of pregnancy itself and cause complications in a woman. For example, some of them can cause bleeding, miscarriage or fetal growth retardation - a condition in which the uterus and fetus can not develop normally. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin, can cause a risk of bleeding and miscarriage. There is also a risk of complications of blood pressure in a child if you take anti-inflammatory and pain medications in the third trimester of pregnancy. For example, aspirin can lead to excess blood loss in the mother during childbirth.

Ergotamines are specifically designed to treat migraines. However, headache during pregnancy treatment with these drugs is not recommended. They increase the risk of birth defects of the baby, especially if taken in the first trimester of pregnancy. These drugs can also stimulate uterine contractions and premature births.

But in extreme cases, to relieve the headache during pregnancy, you still need to take the medicine. Painkillers, called analgesics, can help relieve severe headaches with migraines. Paracetamol is considered a drug with a low risk for pregnancy. Most NSAIDs, including ibuprofen and naproxen, can also help, but it is difficult to calculate the risks after taking them during pregnancy.

Drug-relieving pregnant women should be avoided. They cause a double risk of drug dependence - both in mothers and in infants, if you use strong painkillers for a long time.

Relatively safe medications for migraine during pregnancy include antidepressants (eg, amitriptyline and fluoxetine). There is another class of drugs for the removal of migraine symptoms. They are called beta-blockers, including propranolol, atenolol, labetalol, which are considered relatively safe for pregnant women.

Preventive treatment of migraine

If the future mother has severe, recurring pain attacks, preventive treatment can relieve the headache during pregnancy or reduce the symptoms of a headache. If a woman is pregnant, always talk with your doctor before taking any medicine or alternative medicine. Migraine prevention measures include keeping a diary of their symptoms. If you find that some factors (lifestyle, food, drinks) provoke migraine attacks, they should be avoided.

Tension headache in pregnant women

The headache of stress in pregnant women is manifested as pain and discomfort in the head, especially the hairy part of it, or the neck. The headache of stress in pregnant women, as a rule, is associated with spasms and clamps of muscles in these areas.

Causes of headache tension in pregnant women

Tension headaches in pregnant women can occur at any age, but are most common in women 30-40 years of age.

If a headache in a pregnant woman occurs two or more times a week for several weeks or longer, it is considered chronic. Chronic daily headache may be a result of untreated primary headache.

Tension headaches can be a reaction to stress, depression, head trauma or heightened anxiety.

Any occupation of a pregnant woman, which leads to a tension headache, needs to be discussed with the doctor. Maybe the woman just needs to change the type of activity, and the headache will go away by itself without drugs. These activities, which provoke headache, can be work at the computer, working with papers, with instruments that require eye and neck strain, for example, a long look into the microscope. Sleeping in a cold room or sleeping in the wrong position can also cause a tension headache.

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Other triggers of tension headaches in pregnant women include:

• Alcohol consumption
• Caffeine (too much or abrupt withdrawal)
• Colds, flu or sinusitis
• Dental problems, such as jaw clenching and teeth grinding
• Eye strain
• Excessive smoking
• Fatigue or mental overexertion

Tension headaches in pregnant women can also occur if a woman is already experiencing a migraine. Good news for pregnant women: tension headaches are not associated with brain diseases.

Symptoms of a tension headache

1. Squeezing the head, as if in a vice, as well as a pulling headache
2. Both parts of the head ache
3. It hurts only one part of the head or a specific point
4. The scalp, its top or the back of the neck aches, the pain can give to the shoulders

The headache of tension can last from 30 minutes to 7 days. It can be caused by stress, fatigue, noise or bright light.

Attention: unlike migraines, tension headaches usually do not cause nausea or vomiting.

Pregnant women with tension headaches, as a rule, try to remove the pain by massaging the head or the lower part of the neck.

Diagnosis of tension headache in pregnant women

If the headache varies from mild to moderate, there are no other symptoms, from massage and after a rash in a calm environment, it can take several hours. Then pregnant women do not need further examination. But if the tension headaches, in spite of the prophylaxis, continue, blood and urine tests are needed, as well as doctor examinations and a survey. It is also necessary to measure the pregnant blood pressure. Further examination will depend on the overall picture of the disease - perhaps the doctor will refer you to other specialists - LOR or an orthopedist.

Treatment

Medications that can alleviate tension headache include

• Painkillers such as aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol
• Painkillers, for example, no-spa or spasmalgon
• Muscle relaxants, such as tizanidine (only on the advice of a doctor)

Remember that pain medication can not relieve a headache during pregnancy, but only relieve the symptoms for a short period of time. After a while they may no longer work. Excessive use of pain medication for more than a week can lead to the return of headaches in pregnant women.

The best medicine for headaches during pregnancy is a healthy sleep, fresh air and calm.

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Cluster headaches

Cluster headache in pregnant women is a one-sided headache that can begin badly and last for long. Painful symptoms can occur constantly and bother pregnant women throughout the gestation period.

Cluster headaches are not life-threatening and usually do not cause irreversible changes in the brain of pregnant women. Nevertheless, they are chronic and often very painful, disrupting the quality of life of a pregnant woman. Sometimes the headache can be so strong that a woman can not do anything, it is very bad for her.

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Causes

Cluster headaches are four times more common in men than in women. And yet, pregnant women suffer from them in 20% of cases. Scientists do not know exactly what causes cluster headaches, suggest that this is due to the sudden release of hormones of histamine and serotonin into the bloodstream. The brain region - the hypothalamus - reacts sensitively to this and transmits a pain signal through the pain receptors.

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Causes of cluster attacks

• Alcohol and Smoking
• High altitude (for example, air travel)
• Bright light (including sunlight)
• Emotional Stress
• Excessive heat (hot weather, hot tubs)
• Products with a high content of nitrites (for example, bacon and canned meat, smoked sausage)
• Medications

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Symptoms of cluster headaches in pregnant women

Cluster headache begins as a strong and sudden headache. Headache most often affects a pregnant woman 2-3 hours after she falls asleep. However, a cluster headache may occur during wakefulness. It usually manifests at the same time of day.

Cluster headache most often occurs on one side of the head. It can be described as:

• Searing
• Sharp
• Stable
• Pain can occur in the eyes, in the fundus, in the eye area.
• Pain of the head can spread on one side of the face from the neck to the temples
• The eyes and nose on the same side as the headache, can also suffer. It can be:
• Swelling under the eyes or around the eyes (can affect both eyes)
• Lachrymation
• Red eyes
• Rhinitis (runny nose) or one-sided obstruction of the nose (on the same side as the headache)
• Flushed face

Duration and frequency of cluster headaches in pregnant women

Headaches usually last from thirty minutes to two hours, and the average duration of the headache is 45 minutes. Sometimes severe headaches can go away in just ten minutes, and in some rare cases, headaches can last for several hours. The pain can quickly increase, reaching a maximum within 5 -10 minutes.

Headaches are called so because attacks - "clusters" last for four to eight cycles per week. The frequency of attacks varies depending on the characteristics of each pregnant woman. Some women experience six cases of severe headaches per day, while others experience only one cluster headache per week. In 85 percent of the cases, headaches will disturb the pregnant woman at the same time during the whole cycle.

Some studies show that the older a woman, the greater the risk that she will suffer during pregnancy from a chronic severe headache.

Cluster headaches can occur 1 time per day for a month, alternating with periods without pain (episodic headache), or may repeat throughout the period of pregnancy (chronic headache).

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Diagnostics

Your doctor can diagnose this type of headache by asking questions about your symptoms and your general state of health.

If a medical examination is performed during a pain attack, it will be easier to determine by the nature of the occurrence.

MRI of the head may be necessary in extreme cases to rule out other causes of headaches in a pregnant woman.

Treatment

During pregnancy, many drugs pregnant women are not safe to take, so a doctor can advise you to limit yourself to anti-inflammatory pills or herbs, as well as anesthetics. You can also use acupuncture and aromatherapy, head and neck massage.

Pregnant women can be given oxygen cocktails, peace, rest, healthy sleep.

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Types of headache during pregnancy

According to the typification of headache during pregnancy, which is given by doctors, the headache is divided into primary and secondary. Primary severe headaches during pregnancy are migraine and so-called tension headache, and cluster headaches (severe). And one more kind is a specific headache in pregnant women.

But there is a secondary headache. It can occur for the following reasons:

• Injuries after an accident or an attack, or a stroke, or a catastrophe
• Vascular disorders (manifested as hemorrhage, arterial hypertension)
• Pathologies inside the skull (this may be an increase in intracranial pressure in a pregnant woman, a tumor in the brain, meningitis)
• Long-term use of medicines, and then their cancellation
• Long-term use of alcohol, and then a sharp cessation
• The long process of smoking, and then the cessation
• Infections, which doctors call systemic (for example, urosepsis)
• Metabolic failures in the body (eg, hypoxia - lack of oxygen, hypoglycemia - lowering of blood glucose concentration)
• Neuralgia of various types (neuralgia of the face, neuralgia of the skull, etc.)
• Conditions in which the causes of headache are unknown.
• Hormonal changes in the body (hormonal storms)

Pregnant women should be aware that hormonal changes are inevitable in the body during childbearing, so a headache can disturb a woman throughout pregnancy.

Prevention of cluster headache

Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, certain foods that can cause a headache during pregnancy.