The main cause of headaches is due to hormone triggers during the period of pregnancy. As an expectant mother, you might experience an increase or decrease of cluster headache while pregnant. If the headaches are unexplained and tends to arise in the later stage of pregnancy it can point to occurrence of a serious disorder known as preeclampsia and your doctor has to confirm the case.
The main causes of headache when you are pregnant
Women are known to suffer from headaches during the first and third trimester of pregnancy. The moment you are pregnant you might witness headaches by week 9 of your pregnancy. Along with hormonal changes, headaches can occur due to the volume of blood that the body goes on to produce. Some of the other causes of headache can arise due to the following causes
- Lack of sleep
- Feeling stressed
- Dehydration
- Suffering from anxiety or depression
- Showing withdrawal signs of caffeine
Migraine
This is a type of headache that is known to occur in a particular portion of your head. It could be very painful or moderate. An individual who is known to suffer from this disorder can vomit or be sick, even if they can be sensitive to sound and light.
When you are pregnant the symptoms of migraine are expected to become worse for the first few months. But for many women it goes on to improve in the later stages of pregnancy when the hormone oestrogen stabilizes. Though in the case of others there is no increase or decrease in the number of symptoms when you are pregnant. On the other hand, cluster headache during pregnancy could pose a lot of issues in the long run.
Treatment
If you are suffering from migraine it is not advisable to stick to the use of migraine medicine. In case of other headaches a suggestion is not to cure headaches with the use of any medicine. You can try to follow the below mentioned techniques
- Try to get enough amount of sleep and relaxation
- Undertake any form of exercise or this could be in the form of pregnancy yoga
- Practicing proper posture as this could be important in the later stages of pregnancy
- If it happens to be a sinus headache putting a warm or hot cloth around your nose
- Shoulder and neck massage
If you are planning to take any medicines if you are suffering from this disorder it is better to discuss with your doctor. There are certain types of medicines that are not safe to be used when you are pregnant. Once you are having headache and the pain is below the ribs you need to get in touch with your doctor on an immediate basis. Sometimes sudden swelling may be witnessed in your face and even the feet.
Watch out if the headache is not a normal one as this could point to the occurrence of something serious. It would be better to consult your doctor at this juncture.
