Pregnancy brings about a lot of different changes in a woman’s body, some wonderful and others quite frustrating. If you experience migraine headaches prior to pregnancy, your symptoms in pregnancy are sort of a “luck of the draw” scenario. Many women find that their migraine attacks intensify during pregnancy while others notice they diminish. Not knowing if you will pull the “short straw” during pregnancy, it is best to be prepared and know how to handle migraines during a time when medication is unknot able to be used.
Changes In Pregnancy
Migraines are different than stress or tension headaches. Migraines are a result of blood vessels dilating in the brain. These headaches typically start with a dull ache and gradually become a throbbing, pulsating pain in the temples, front or base of the skull. Some of the symptoms associated with migraines, such as nausea, vomiting, and dizziness are often confused with symptoms of morning sickness in pregnancy.
During pregnancy, the use of pain medication to treat migraine attacks is not recommended, due to the unknown effects they could have on the fetus. To better prepare yourself for an impending attack, when you can’t just reach for your usual medication, here are a few home remedies that can help ease the discomfort.
First of all, keep a headache journal. Use this journal to document when the headache occurred, how long it lasted, what may have triggered it, and the presence of any other side effects. Beware of your triggers and look to avoid them whenever possible. Common triggers include stress, cheese, coffee, weather, hormones, and even chocolate.
Second, ensuring you are getting enough rest and reducing stress levels is also key to managing migraine pain. Sleep often becomes difficult in the final trimester, so taking an afternoon nap may be necessary to help you feel rested. Utilizing relaxation techniques such as massage therapy, yoga, or mediation can also be helpful in reducing stress in the body. Applying a cool compress to your head will work to reduce the intensity experienced during an attack. Even though your usual medication isn’t recommended during pregnancy, obstetricians allow the use of acetaminophen for pain. While this may not completely eliminate pain, it should help to dull any discomfort you might experience. If you experience a headache accompanied by a fever, headache lingers for more than a few hours, or you experience blurred vision, contact your physician immediately, as this could be a sign of another health concern.
Tags: aura, headaches, hormonal fluctuation, migraine stages, Migraines, postpartum, pregnancy and migraines, stress, tension headaches
Leave A Reply (No comments so far)
You must be logged in to post a comment.
No comments yet