Headaches during pregnancy

Introduction

Headaches during pregnancy are a common problem. Especially in the first three months of pregnancy, many women are affected. After that the incidence of headaches decreases significantly. Basically, the complaints can be caused by various causes, which are usually harmless. In rare cases, however, serious causes can be hidden behind the pain, which is why a medical clarification is recommended for long-lasting and severe headaches.

Causes

The causes of headaches during pregnancy are many and varied. Especially in the first three months of pregnancy many women complain about such complaints. This is possibly related to the fact that the woman’s entire hormone balance changes and the circulation has to adjust to the new requirements.

A pregnancy is strenuous for the body. Too little sleep and tiredness, stress, tension and too little drinking can promote the development of headaches. In addition, headaches often occur in the context of colds, for example when the sinuses or frontal sinuses are also affected.

Women who regularly drank coffee before pregnancy and suddenly completely give up caffeine at the beginning of pregnancy can also develop headaches as a result. A more serious cause of headaches during pregnancy is pre-eclampsia. This is a high blood pressure disorder of pregnant women that is accompanied by increased protein excretion in the urine. Affected women often also complain of headaches, dizziness, impaired vision, nausea and vomiting. Pre-eclampsia can further develop into eclampsia, which can cause seizures and loss of consciousness, among other things.

Therapy

Headaches during pregnancy can be treated in different ways. Basically, caution is advised during pregnancy with medications of all kinds, as many can damage the unborn child. However, there are some ways in which pregnant women can combat their pain without harming the child.

These articles may also be of interest to you: Physiotherapy for headaches during pregnancy, exercises for headaches during pregnancyParacetamol during pregnancy is considered the painkiller of choice. It can be taken throughout pregnancy without risk of harm to the child. Ibuprofen may also be taken during pregnancy, but only in the first and second trimester.

Ibuprofen should not be taken during the last trimester of pregnancy. Aspirin®, like ibuprofen, may only be taken in the first and second trimester of pregnancy, but it is best to avoid it altogether. It delays blood clotting and can therefore promote bleeding.

For this reason, it should not be used in the last third of pregnancy. Many pregnant women look for alternative treatments for headaches. Pregnancy headaches can also be treated homeopathically.

Various preparations can be used for this purpose, which can be taken in the form of globules or drops. Suitable preparations could be, for example, potassium sulfuricum or nux vomica. It is best to seek advice on this subject from an experienced homeopath rather than taking the preparations as self-medication.

Many home remedies have proven to be effective in the treatment of headaches during pregnancy. In principle, pregnant women should first try to get their symptoms under control with these measures before taking medication. One possibility is to put a cool cloth on your forehead or neck.

If there is tension in the neck or back area, heat is beneficial to relieve it. A massage and a warm bath can also help. It is also considered helpful for headaches to rub a few drops of essential mint oil on the temples.

This has had good effects in studies. Overall, pregnant women should also pay attention to certain things in their everyday life, for example, sufficient sleep, daily physical exercise, sufficient drinking and a healthy, balanced diet. Measures to reduce stress are also important to get headaches under control, for example yoga for pregnant women.

Some women also benefit from acupuncture.If you suffer from severe headaches or headaches that persist over a long period of time during pregnancy, it is always advisable to consult a doctor. In this way, serious causes for the complaints can be excluded. Since headaches are not uncommon, especially in the first three months of pregnancy, no further diagnosis is usually necessary.

The prerequisite is that the pregnant woman’s other vital parameters (blood pressure, pulse, temperature) and urine are unremarkable. The doctor may also perform a neurological examination to check the function of the cranial nerves and exclude meningitis. In very unclear cases, imaging procedures of the head can also be performed (cranial CT-MRI).