During pregnancy, a large number of women experience headache, as it is one of the most frequent symptoms in pregnancy along with stomach pain. It is proven that in some cases, women who usually suffer migraines or headaches, do not experience this symptom during pregnancy, but on the contrary, there are cases in which the woman has never experienced this discomfort and appears during pregnancy. Migraines in this period can vary, so in this article we solve your doubt about I am pregnant and my head hurts, is it normal?
Why My Head Hurts in Pregnancy – Causes
Is it normal that if I am pregnant my head hurts? The reality is that a large percentage of women experience a headache in some trimester of their pregnancy and, although there is no specific explanation, there are several causes why this discomfort could appear. It can be something totally normal or, on the contrary, it could indicate that there are problems, although it is less frequent.
- Hormones: during pregnancy, there is a strong hormonal activity where your body has to readjust all its vital functions, which produces a strong headache, most often in the first and third trimester of pregnancy, but it can appear spontaneously at any time.
- Vasodilation: Your body is going to require a lot of energy when you are exposed to standing for a long time or because due to any circumstance you experience stress or anxiety. This can affect blood circulation due to the weight of your belly or a stressful situation and lead to a headache.
- Glucose: As we have mentioned before, the body increases its energy expenditure during a pregnancy, which could also produce changes in the level of glucose and consequently headache.
- High blood pressure: this cause is alarming, because if you are experiencing headaches due to high blood pressure, you should go to the doctor as soon as possible because preeclampsia could develop. Preeclampsia is the presence of high blood pressure and elevated levels of protein in the urine. In this other article we explain how to lower high blood pressure in pregnancy.
- Caffeine: If you normally took caffeine and have stopped it all at once, you may experience discomfort of this kind.
- Lack of sleep: during pregnancy it is necessary that you rest as much as possible, so if you have not slept well or feel general tiredness it is possible that your headaches are due to this.
- Other causes: There are also other causes why your head can hurt during pregnancy, such as hunger, dehydration or tiredness.
It is recommended that in the face of any headache you go to a doctor to examine you and advise you in order to eliminate or reduce headaches.
How to remove the headache if I'm pregnant
If you are pregnant and your head hurts it is important that you follow these tips to relieve these uncomfortable discomforts:
- Rest as much as possible: and whenever you can avoid standing do it. This way you will avoid stress and anxiety, you will also get a good blood circulation as long as you are sitting and relaxed.
- Relax: perform relaxation exercises and some mild physical exercise in order to relax the muscles and relieve tension. Consult with your doctor and he will advise you on the physical exercises you can perform for this purpose.
- Avoid some foods: The main thing is to avoid certain foods that could increase such discomfort as beans, chocolate, cultured dairy products, some nuts, citrus, papaya, banana, smoked fish or fermented foods. Also avoid processed foods high in fats and sugars, as they are very heavy for digestion.
- Take sugar moderately: eat small portions of sweet foods very punctually, to prevent you from lowering glucose but never without overdoing it. You need to keep your glucose levels balanced. Visit your doctor from time to time to make sure these levels are correct.
- Drink plenty of water: to avoid dehydration.
- Eat vegetable products: such as vegetables, fruits and vegetables as they provide the necessary nutrients and calories.
- Eat foods rich in fiber: since during pregnancy the contribution is very important.
You may also be interested in How to Eat During Pregnancy.
What to Take for Headache in Pregnancy
Surely you will wonder what you can take if you are pregnant and your head hurts. The truth is that the best thing you can do is maintain a balanced diet. However, if you need medication, you should know that the only one you can take is paracetamol. Paracetamol is the only medication that is recommended during pregnancy to relieve headache is paracetamol, always under medical prescription, since the others could affect the fetus
Do not hesitate to go to the doctor if the headaches are accompanied by fever and torticollis or if they occur spontaneously and violently, if in addition to the headache you experience other symptoms such as blurred vision, drowsiness or loss of sensation or if you feel that the headache is different from any you have experienced throughout your life. It is best to go to your doctor for any headache so that you can evaluate an optimal treatment.
Now that you know the answer to, I'm pregnant and my head hurts, is it normal? you may also be interested in this other article on How to manage stress during pregnancy.
