Finding Relief for Headaches During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one stage in a woman’s life that brings so much excitement. But accompanying this excitement are lots of discomfort especially during the first and third trimesters which very much include headaches.

Headaches are very common during pregnancy. This discomfort varies from women to women, on which one can experience this more frequently than the other. Headaches during pregnancy feel like a squeezing pain or a dull ache on the back of your neck or could be on both sides of the head. A few of the common causes of headaches during pregnancy include changes in hormonal levels and increase in blood volume and circulation. In addition, posture and tension from carrying extra weight can also caused headaches but these are usually during the third trimester.

The discomfort brought by headaches during pregnancy is only temporary. But these may increase during the entire stage of pregnancy especially if the expectant mother experiences stress, fatigue, caffeine withdrawal, lack of sleep, dehydration, and hunger or low blood sugar. If you are a pregnant woman, and you are experiencing headaches, here are some helpful suggestions to help you achieve headache relief:

Know what is triggering the pain and avoid them.

It is imperative to know the cause of your headaches and what triggers the pain so that you will also know what is the best relief for it. You can make a list of the foods you eat or the activities you did prior to feeling the headache. There are some common headache triggers which include foods that contain monosodium glutamate or MSG, sulfites which are used in dried fruits and as a preservative for salads, and nitrites which are common in processed meats. Activities on which you hear loud noises, feel excessive heat or cold, smell strong odors like perfumes and tobacco smoke can also be big factors that trigger headaches.

Knowing all these, you can very much help your physician in coming up with the best solution to your problem.

Use compresses and take a shower.

You can apply warm compresses to the front and sides of your face and around your nose, eyes, and temples if you are experiencing headache in the sinus area. If it’s a tension headache, on the other hand, use a warm or cool compress to your forehead or to the base of your neck. You can also take a cold shower to find headache relief since a cold shower works by constricting the dilated blood vessels. But for tension headaches, a warm shower or bath is better.

Get a massage.

Getting a full-body massage from a trained therapist is one way to relieve you from stress which likely triggers the headaches you are experiencing. That is if you have the time and money, but if your budget does not allow it, you can simply ask your partner to rub your back and head. Let him massage your temples, shoulders, and neck to help you reduce the pain of headaches.

Eat well-balanced meals and don’t go hungry or thirsty.

It is necessary to eat well-balanced meals during pregnancy. Eating smaller, more frequent meals is better than eating big on one meal and skipping the other. This can help you keep your blood sugar from getting too low. You should also drink plenty of water and other juices.

Avoid fatigue and stress but get some exercise.

Fatigue and stress can very much trigger headaches during pregnancy. You should at all times avoid placing yourself in situations where you will feel so tired and stressed out. But this does not mean that you will also have to stop doing exercises. There are also exercises and techniques meant for pregnant women which are not tiring but instead, these are very relaxing like yoga, meditation, and biofeedback.

All these suggestions will help you achieve relief when you experience headache during pregnancy. Although this is not a sign of serious problem, it is always best to consult and ask your physician about it when you go for a prenatal checkup.