Having a headache while pregnant is a special case, needing special a approach.
As if the pregnancy itself does not carry enough issues with it, there is a plethora of side effects linked to it. A headache surely counts as one of the more persistent and annoying side effects. Although it might sound reasonably harmless, it presents quite a problem, and the reason for this is simple – restricted options when it comes to drugs.
The thing is that pregnant women have a much lesser pool of, so called, painkillers, due to possibly negative effects those might have on their unborn child. Given that women in general are more likely to suffer migraines than men and that this condition often hits during their best years, it is only natural to have much attention pointed towards this problem. Furthermore, there are cases when the headaches take on greater proportions during pregnancy, or even present themselves for the first time during this period. Therefore, those unfortunate individuals have to find other ways to deal with it.
There have been many speculations and studies with the goal of finding the causes of these persistent manifestations. One of the most popular theories is that the migraines are somehow linked with a person’s serotonin level. Seeing how serotonin and estrogen are linked in that the former is dependent on the latter, it could explain the appearance of migraines at times when a woman’s estrogen level plummets. And this is only one of possibly many causes.
Still, if a woman prone to headaches is in her beginning phase of pregnancy, there still may be time for them to reduce their presence, or even disappear in full. High levels of estrogen during this time should take care of that. On the other hand, if it is during pregnancy that she starts suffering headaches for the first time, it is something to consult a doctor about.
There are some things a woman could do to alleviate her pain.
Pregnancy in and of itself is a time for regrouping, so the women should use this to her advantage. She can go over her diet, her daily habits, drug use, anything that might help in clearing this, as well as many other potentially harmful effects. Again, a doctor should have regular insight and a say in these matters. He or she will point out exactly what can and, more importantly canot be done during pregnancy. For example, things like Aspirin or ibuprofen are off limits. Many other drugs for relieving a headache follow closely behind. Although there are official classifications for the amount of risk for drugs, it is still prudent to check with your doctor before using any of them.
Perhaps the best advice and the hardest task during this important time is to reduce stress. A lack of stress is a painkiller all by itself, although some would say it is more costly and harder to come by than most existing drugs.
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