Those who also suffer with nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy can become dehydrated. This can also bring on a headache. Migraine headaches are a common type of headache in pregnancy. These painful, throbbing headaches are often felt on one side of the head and result from expansion of the blood vessels in the brain. The misery is sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light. A small percentage of women with migraines also have an aura with the migraine.
They see flashes of light or feel tingling in their arms and legs. Headaches can sometimes be related to blood pressure problems in pregnancy. If they are persistent or severe and happen after 20 weeks of pregnancy, let your healthcare provider know. If you have migraines, report them to your provider. Stay away from any known headache triggers, including allergens and certain foods, like monosodium glutamate, cured meats, and strong cheeses.
This type of pain can have lots of triggers, which means it can come on at any time. Some common causes:. On the bright side, at least for those already prone to migraines: Surging hormones during pregnancy might actually make those less-than-pleasant headaches less frequent. As for when pregnancy headaches will end, it depends on what's causing them in the first place. If the signs and symptoms of pregnancy itself — stress, fatigue, surging hormones, congestion — are a major cause, you will feel fast relief after delivery.
While some headaches are probably unavoidable, a few steps now may help prevent them in the future. Check out these tips so you can potentially stop an oncoming headache dead in its tracks:.
Many women, even those who haven't previously experienced a lot of everyday headaches, will get them during pregnancy. But if your headaches persist for more than two or three hours or you have other symptoms fever, visual disturbances, sudden dramatic weight gain or puffiness in your face or hands , let your practitioner know right away.
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Registry Builder New. Headaches During Pregnancy. However, some women continue to experience tension headaches from hormonal changes throughout their pregnancy. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common experience for many pregnant women.
Some will experience a condition called preeclampsia , which occurs when someone who usually has normal blood pressure levels suddenly develops high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Preeclampsia increases the risk of many medical emergencies, including seizures and stroke. The condition may also reduce the oxygen flow to the fetus.
A common symptom of preeclampsia is a headache that will not go away. Some other symptoms include:. These symptoms do not occur in every case of preeclampsia, which is one of the reasons why it is important to check in regularly with a doctor throughout pregnancy.
Headaches during pregnancy can manifest in various ways. For example, they can cause different types and levels of pain. Medically speaking, headaches are either primary or secondary. Primary headaches are not a symptom of a health condition, whereas secondary headaches occur when an underlying condition is the cause.
Secondary headaches usually lead to a number of other symptoms. Tension headaches are the most common type of headache during pregnancy. Tension headaches cause mild-to-moderate pain in the head. Many people describe the pain as feeling as though they have a tight band around their head. Migraine headaches may also occur during pregnancy.
A migraine headache often begins as a dull ache that grows into a piercing, throbbing pain, which may or may not radiate. A person may also be very sensitive to light, noise, and some smells.
Migraine episodes might also cause other symptoms, such as dizziness or nausea. Cluster headaches are rarer than other types, occurring in an estimated 0.
A person may also notice some other symptoms, such as nasal congestion, watery eyes, or swelling in the area. In many cases, home remedies can help soothe a primary headache during pregnancy. Some home remedies that may be effective include:. Keeping a food journal to track what they eat each day may also help a woman identify and eliminate any headache triggers.
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