HEADACHES IN EARLY PREGNANCY
Written by Caroline Meyer
Almost everyone will experience some form of a headache in their lives. There are many reasons for headaches and in most instances, they are easy to address and cure. Some women however, experience numerous headaches during the early months of pregnancy. Headaches can occur daily and can be exacerbated by many of the other symptoms that they may be experiencing during this time such as morning sickness. There headaches can range from mild pain to the level of a migraine. How do you know if you need to be concerned?
During the first 3 months or so of pregnancy, the level of blood in the body increases, hormone levels change dramatically which are some of the main reasons for headaches during this time. Headaches can also be enhanced by factors such as dehydration, stress, fatigue, poor posture, withdrawals from nicotine and caffeine and low blood sugar.
Headaches are fairly common during the first trimester and most women will suffer headaches a lot more often than usual from the fourth week through to around the 12th week of pregnancy. From the start of the major hormonal changes, the headaches may become more pronounced. If you usually suffer from headaches, they may become more frequent and more painful. The headaches can occur in spots all over the head or feel like the entire head is affected.
Most of the time, these types of headaches are a localised dull ache but can occur as throbbing pains or even sharp pains in different parts of the head. These headaches are generally not accompanied by other symptoms, unlike a migraine that can bring on a variety of added issues.
Your headaches can be brought on by vomiting or a drop-in blood sugar due to not having anything in your stomach. You also need to ensure you drink enough fluids to hydrate your body as dehydration can lead to headaches as well. Increased urination as well as morning sickness can lead to lowered fluid levels in the body which need to be replaced.
Anxiety and stress can add to the headaches over and above the normal changes happening in your body. Changes in sleep habits as well as having too little or too much sleep can bring on a headache. Withdrawals from caffeine or nicotine can make your head hurt all on their own as well. Don’t jump into a new exercise regime or increasing your current one without talking to your doctor first. Although exercise is very important, you need to be gentle in your approach while you are pregnant. Intense workouts can result in headaches as well.
Migraine sufferers often find some relief during pregnancy. There is a belief that this may be due to increased oestrogen levels which may have an effect on migraines. If you have migraines that are brought on by certain foods, you should still avoid these during the pregnancy to avoid triggering the migraines. Some foods that can cause migraines in sufferers include alcohol, chocolate, caffeine products, aged meats and cheeses, spicy food, citrus fruits, monosodium glutamate and aspartame. Make sure to keep checking the labels as many foods contain some of these items which can cause a migraine to kick in.
During the first trimester, headaches are usually nothing to worry about. Try and avoid many of the problems that can trigger the headaches as far as possible to avoid bringing them on. If you continue experiencing high levels of headache occurrence into the second and third trimester or at any point after the 13th week, contact your medical caregiver to check for issues such as preeclampsia. If you are concerned about headaches at any point, even in the first few weeks, discuss the issue with your doctor so they can give you a check-up and make sure everything is okay.
Some of the common remedies for headaches in the first trimester include relaxation techniques such as acupuncture, acupressure or having a soak in the bathtub. Try massage or yoga to relax and stretch you and relieve some of the tension in the back and neck that can bring on headaches. An icepack or cold compress on the back of the neck can help relieve a bad headache. Just resting in a room that is dark and quite can sometimes help a headache lift. Try some aromatherapy using lavender or peppermint in an oil burner or similar but don’t apply it to your skin or ingest the oils in any way. If the headaches are due to poor posture, you can try working with a specialist to help improve alignment and posture to reduce the headaches.
If you are trying to stop smoking or want to cut out substances such as caffeine, speak to your doctor about the best methods. It may be extremely difficult to cut the substances out instantly without some withdrawal symptoms. Don’t jump into strenuous exercise, especially if you did not exercise regularly before becoming pregnant. Make sure you have a good sleep cycle and aim for 8 hours a night. In the early days, you may feel fatigued during the day. If possible, half a half hour nap midday to help you cope. If you have severe morning sickness you might want to go from 3 meals to many small meals during the day instead so you can try and keep some food down. Eat what you can but try and include proteins and healthy fats as these can sustain you for longer and prevent blood sugar spikes and drops.
Try and increase your hydration during the day and drink water as far as possible. Reduce your intake in the evening to prevent you having to get up to urinate during the night as much. If you have been experiencing dehydration and even severe morning sickness, you may want to look at adding electrolytes to the water you are drinking to improve your hydration. Speak to your doctor if you feel the need for improved hydration. If these methods do not work and the headaches are not able to be relieved in a natural way, you may want to speak to your doctor about medication.
Ibuprofen and aspirin are not usually recommended. Your doctor will prescribe a medication that is safe to use during pregnancy. This will also give him the opportunity for a full check-up to ensure nothing else is going on.
While headaches are fairly common during this time, if you find the frequency and intensity increases or you are unable to relieve them with any method, you should speak to your medical caregivers. If there are added symptoms such as pain in the abdomen, balance problems, blurred vision, trouble speaking or swelling you should contact your doctor as soon as possible. If the headaches come on or change depending on a change in your posture such as if the headache comes on when your sit up or stand up or cause you to wake up due to the pain, you should consult your doctor. If you feel feverish or may have been exposed to an infectious disease, speak to your doctor about an appointment for a check-up. Other than the above, if you are concerned at any point in your pregnancy, you should always contact your doctor or midwife. They can assess the severity and can decide whether further testing may be needed. They can answer your questions and assist you with getting help with relieving the headaches.