Headaches
Updated on 1 July 2023
Pregnancy is a beautiful experience and no less than a celebration, as is well acclaimed. It’s indeed a bliss carrying a new life within you and nurturing it all through 9 months. Sadly, every beautiful thing comes with pain. And pregnancy carries innumerable health issues, aches & discomfort with it. Bloating, gas, indigestion, heartburn, acidity, body ache, and cramps are a few to list here not to forget the headache. You are not alone if the overwhelming experience during pregnancy causes you to get a severe headache.
The volume of blood that our body produces generally increases during pregnancy which may lead to a headache. The hormonal changes, medications, unstable sleeping routine, sudden withdrawal of caffeine and changes in lifestyle, add up to become various causes of severe headaches during pregnancy.
Headaches in pregnancy may have different reasons and may appear differently in every woman. The most common headaches that are observed are tension headaches, migraine or cluster ones. While other women may have it due to high blood pressure or other health concerns but majorly it has been seen due to indigestion, restlessness and lack of sleep. If it’s a normal headache, you may observe pulsating pain, dull ache, severe pain on any one side of the head or sharp pain behind one or both eyes. Such Migraine pains may also bring nausea, vomiting, blind spots or flashes of light.
The first few months of pregnancy give a majority of changes in the body which usually settle down with growing pregnancy. The same is the case with a headache. You need not be anxious as it is not going to harm your baby. It’s just another feeling of discomfort that probably waves off using home remedies or lifestyle changes.
If you observe headache stays for long or just doesn’t go away, then it might be a symptom of high blood pressure during pregnancy which requires attention. If not monitored and treated on time, such headaches might signal pre-eclampsia which usually starts after 20 weeks of pregnancy and can make its way to serious complications. If you notice blurred vision, fever or dizziness you should seek your doctor and ask for a piece of advice.
We have listed down some natural ways for you to cure headaches during pregnancy because medications are not an option.
Prenatal massage always seems to help. Get a good head massage with Dhanwantaram oil. It is an ayurvedic treatment oil, a compilation of all-natural ingredients and herbs to assist in alleviating headaches.
Cold or hot compress on specific areas where the headache seems to be the most severe will help you get relief. Be sure that you use lukewarm water and not boiling water for a compress. A heating pad or an ice pack will work best.
Taking proper rest is very important. If your sleeping pattern is not efficient, headaches will become constant.
Eating healthy and nutritious food is again a natural cure for ever-annoying headaches. Consume fluids and consume a diet rich in calcium and iron for keeping headaches at par.
There is a particular set of yoga exercises that help provide relief from headaches that occur during pregnancy. You can practice these yoga postures before going to bed or when you wake up.
Deep breathing exercises help you remain calm and put your body to ease. So, if stress is the cause of your headache, breathing exercises will help.
A hot shower will help you relax and make you feel comfortable. It helps in wearing out all the contained tension in the body and releases happy hormones.
Dehydration also causes body aches and pains. Stay hydrated all through the day to avoid headaches during pregnancy.
Flickering light bulbs can also cause you to lose sleep. Try to keep your bedtime setting as dim as possible and sleep in a dark area. It helps in soothing headaches.
A wrong posture while standing, sitting, or lying can also be a cause of your headaches. Change your position for good and avoid headaches.
Headaches are extremely common during pregnancy and are not a cause of concern. Practice these natural and effective ways to relieve headaches during pregnancy and make your journey of becoming a mother more relaxed.
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Written by
Charu Pratap
Charu has been a seasoned corporate professional with over a decade of experience in Human Resource Management. She has managed the HR function for start-ups as well as established companies. But aside from her corporate career she was always fond of doing things with a creative streak. She enjoys gardening and writing and is an experienced content expert and linguist. Her own experiences with motherhood and raising a baby made her realize the importance of reliable and fact-based parenting information. She was engaged in creating content for publishing houses, research scholars, corporates as well as for her own blog.
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