Secondary Headaches During Pregnancy
It is especially important to identify red flags suggesting that headache is a symptom of a serious disease . In these cases, electroencephalography, ophthalmoscopy, ultrasound of the vessels of the head and neck, brain MRI and MR angiography may be needed . In some cases, it is possible to perform multi-slice computed tomography . The risk for the fetus in this case is minimal and the contraindication is the mother allergy to the contrast agent .
Clinically, the most significant causes of the secondary headache in pregnant women are: stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral venous thrombosis, arterial dissection, pituitary tumor, choriocarcinoma, eclampsia, preeclampsia, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.
Stroke
To identify the etiology and make a diagnosis of ACA in pregnant women and puerperas, one or more of the following methods can be required: MRI and angiography, computed tomography , MSCT, ophthalmoscopy electrocardiography and echocardiography, daily monitoring of arterial pressure and electrocardiograms, ultrasound examination of extra- and intracranial vessels with duplex scanning, and cerebral angiography .
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Cerebral venous thrombosis
Arterial dissection
Pituitary tumor
Choriocarcinoma
Headache associated with preeclampsia and eclampsia
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome
Primary and secondary intracranial hypertension
What Pregnant Women Can Take For Indigestion And Heartburn
Safe to take: Tums, Maalox, Mylanta, Pepcid
Progesterone is at it again, causing heartburn by affecting your smooth muscle cells and relaxing the sphincter between your stomach and esophagus so acid comes up. Before you take Prilosec or another prescription medication while pregnant, try over-the-counter remedies first because theyre the least strong. Also eat smaller and more frequent meals, stop noshing two to three hours before you hit the sack, and steer clear of rich, fried, or spicy foods, which often trigger stomach irritation. Sleeping on an incline can also prevent the contents of your stomach from splashing into your esophagus, causing heartburn.
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Can You Take Ibuprofen While Pregnant
Many women wonder whether its safe to take ibuprofen when pregnant. Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug , which includes aspirin and naproxen. Its a pain reliever and fever reducer. Ibuprofen is a type of medicine called a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor. Other ***-2 inhibitors include Celecoxib and Vioxx. ***-2 inhibitors may protect the stomach lining from damage caused by NSAIDs. Doctors recommend that pregnant women avoid ibuprofen and other NSAIDs. But they recommend that pregnant women take acetaminophen instead. Acetaminophen will relieve muscle aches and pains. It wont cause stomach problems. Acetaminophen may be safer for the fetus than ibuprofen..
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Take A Nap Or Practice Yoga
Sometimes, a lack of sleep can trigger headaches and migraines so if you think you are experiencing a headache because of poor sleep, take a nap, and you will feel better. If you want to sleep longer, then do try anything that will make you feel better.
If you are feeling super-stressed, doing some yoga would be a good idea because of the multiple benefits it offers. Yoga will help lower your stress and help you sleep better. It will also make sure that your body gets the required exercise during pregnancy.
When Should I Call My Doctor
Whether you experience headaches or not, its always important to discuss your pre-pregnancy history, obstetrical history and concerns with your doctor for an individualized assessment and management plan. However, if none of the above treatments resolve your mild headache or your headaches become more frequent and severe, talk to your doctor to determine the cause.
This includes new headaches that present after 20 weeks, a sudden onset of severe headaches, headaches associated with a fever, mental health changes, elevated blood pressure and vision changes, Dr. Saunders said. Its important to keep an open line of communication with your physician and let them know about any changes in your health so they can rule out anything serious.â
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Natural Remedies For Headaches During Pregnancy
Many women are hesitant to take medications during pregnancy especially during the first trimester when their baby’s organs are developing. So finding natural remedies for headaches in pregnancy can be a lifesaver.
Let’s explore some natural remedies for both treating and preventing headaches during pregnancy.
Here are a few ideas from the American Pregnancy Association:
- For a sinus headache, apply a warm compress around your eyes and nose.
- For a tension headache, use a cold compress or ice pack at the base of your neck.
- Eat smaller, more frequent meals to maintain your blood sugar. This may even help prevent headaches.
- Get a massage, especially around your shoulders and neck.
- Rest in a dark room.
- Practice deep breathing.
- Take a warm shower or bath.
- Use good posture, especially in the third trimester
When Should I Call A Doctor Or Midwife About A Headache In Pregnancy
Call your midwife, doctor or hospital maternity unit if you have a very bad headache or a headache that wont go away. This could be a symptom of pregnancy induced hypertension. This is a type of high blood pressure that develops after 20 weeks and goes away within 6 weeks of the baby’s birth. Its also known as gestational high blood pressure or gestational hypertension.
Call your midwife, doctor or hospital straight away if you have a headache and vision problems and sudden swelling on your hands, feet, face or stomach. This could be a sign of pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy condition that can be dangerous for you and the baby if it is not monitored and treated.
- discomfort in the lowest part of your stomach
- needing to wee a lot or an uncontrollable need to wee
- cloudy, foul-smelling or bloody wee
- a raised temperature
- feeling sick and vomiting.
This could be a sign of a urinary tract infection. UTIs cab be treated with antibiotics that are safe to use in pregnancy.
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What Can I Do To Prevent Migraines
One of the best ways to prevent migraines is to recognize what triggers an attack and trying to avoid them. For example, stress, eating certain foods or lack of sleep may bring on an attack.
Avoiding your triggers can be difficult when youre pregnant. For example, if you have morning sickness you may not feel like eating or drinking much. This can cause low blood sugar or dehydration, so its important to try and find ways to cope.
Getting enough sleep may also be difficult during pregnancy. Try our tips for a better nights sleep.
You should also try to
- rest and relax as much as possible. You could try things like mindfulness or yoga.
What Could Be Causing Your Headache
Its absolutely essential to figure out the cause of the headache before attempting to treat it, said Dr. James Bernasko, Director of the Regional Perinatal Center at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. Pregnancy headaches can range from “the merely inconvenient to the actually life-threatening, so context is particularly important, Bernasko added.
Possible causes include:
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Study Design And Population
The PRINCE study is conducted at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and was initiated in 2011. Inclusion criteria were maternal age of 18 years or higher and a viable singleton pregnancy at gestational week 1214. Women with chronic infections , known substance abuse, who were smoking, had multiple pregnancies or pregnancies conceived after assisted reproductive technologies were excluded. Pregnant women were invited to three antenatal visits, once per trimester . Data on the assessment of relevant covariables is described in detail elsewhere . All study subjects signed informed consent forms and the study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the Hamburg Chamber of Physicians .
At the time of analyses, the PRINCE study sample consisted of 620 women. To be included in the present analysis, data on analgesic intake had to be available for each trimester, which was the case for 518 women. For analyses, only those women with no analgesic intake at all were compared to those with Paracetamol medication. Hence, women relying only on other analgesic medication such as ibuprofen were excluded from further analyses . Cord blood could be obtained from women delivering at the UKE and analyzed for hematopoietic stem cell .
Flow chart of the study sample.
Abbreviations used: FACS, fluorescence-activated cell sorting.
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Appendix A: Literature Search
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Can I Take Orajel While Pregnant
Having severe tooth pain is a very unpleasant experience, which is why Orajel is so popular. However, you should avoid taking it if youre pregnant because their ingredients, such as Benzocaine, can be dangerous for the fetus. There have been cases of premature birth when pregnant women took a similar product, so if youre experiencing tooth pain, go see a dentist instead. If you are sure that you cannot go see a dentist, consult a doctor beforehand..
What Can I Not Take For A Headache While Pregnant
According to the National Headache Foundation, an incredible 6 out of 10 Americans experience some type of headache symptoms every year. While many points to genetic reasons, an estimated 85 percent of headache sufferers have no organic or physical cause. When you are pregnant in particular it is important to be aware of what you can and cannot take for a headache. Things you should never take, including decongestants, sleeping pills, or muscle relaxants while pregnant can have a negative effect on your unborn. The best thing to do is to seek out alternatives. Several natural ways to reduce headache symptoms are listed below..
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Treatment Options During Pregnancy
Certain medications used for migraine treatment and prevention are contraindicated for pregnancy, due to safety concerns for the developing fetus. For patients who use oral contraceptives to regulate their hormone levels and manage migraine, having a conversation about migraine treatment options may happen when they want to go off of birth control and start trying to conceive. The good news is there are safe options for migraine prior to and during pregnancy.
Im always telling my patients, either preconception or patients that are pregnant, that we recommend in general to use the number of different medications for anything that were treating, Dr. Grossman says. And also, of course, the lowest dose possible that we can use in pregnancy and preconception is what we recommend. Her first-line treatment is non-medication options, and she then layers in other treatments as needed.
What Are The Different Types Of Headaches
The headaches youre suffering from while pregnant are just like the ones you can get at any other time, so its worth learning about some of the most common types. Heres a short primer to help you figure out what kind of headache you might have:
- Tension headaches: If youre under stress, hungry or feel pain in your neck or shoulders, you could have a tension headache, which feels like a mild to moderate dull ache. Its one of the most common types.
- Migraines: With a migraine headache, you can expect moderate to severe pain that throbs and lasts for hours or even days. Some women with migraines also experience blurred vision, light flashes, numbness and nausea.
- Sinus headaches: Pressure around your eyes, cheeks and forehead plus a stuffy nose may signal a sinus headache. These typically occur with a sinus infection, but theyre also commonly confused with migraines. In both cases, the pain can get worse when you bend forward or lie down.
- Cluster headaches: These head pains are what they sound like headaches upon headaches that start quickly and get worse, lasting for days or longer. The searing pain usually centers on one eye or affects one side of the head. The good news: Cluster headaches are rare, especially in women compared to men.
- Chronic headaches: If youre getting headaches on more than half of the days in any given month, they could be considered chronic. This includes migraines and other headache types chronic just refers to how frequently they happen.
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What Meds Can You Take While Pregnant
Your doctor can help you decide how best to deal with your pain throughout your pregnancy. However, there are some things to bear in mind. Generally speaking, its best to try and stay off medications where possible. If you do need to take something, ask your doctor or midwife if the drug can be used in pregnancy. For instance, some painkillers, such as codeine, wont be safe while youre pregnant. Similarly paracetamol is safe in pregnancy, but some types are not. Ask your doctor whether your preferred painkiller is safe. Additionally, if youre suffering from morning sickness, its a good idea to try and cope with the symptoms at home. Sometimes, theres nothing you can do to relieve nausea and vomiting, but trying to stay off medication may help you feel better. If youre finding your sickness particularly hard to cope with, talk to your doctor, who may give you a solution such as ginger to relieve your symptoms..
When To Worry About Headaches During Pregnancy
When a pregnant woman experiences a headache in her first and third trimester, the most common cause is hormonal changes as the body demands some changes which help in the creating favorable environment inside the womb of the mother for the fetus. This headache is mostly mild to moderate which vanishes by own or sometimes medicines can be required. Mostly in a second-trimester headache is less.
But when the headaches continue in the second trimester during pregnancy with intense pain, that it is the time for worry. The doctor should check the blood pressure of the pregnant women. Normal blood pressure in pregnant women is 120/80 mm Hg or it can vary with 10-20 in both systolic and diastolic. If the blood pressure remains high than the pregnant womenâs will suffer from a headache with others symptoms too. And this can even lead to a worse condition which is called as pre-eclampsia.
For the pregnant womenâs who have daily headache while pregnant can take medicines but the consultation of doctor is required. As every womanâs in the world is differing from other so the symptoms during their pregnancy also vary. This headache mostly disappears as pregnancy time exceeds but still headache remains in the second trimester during pregnancy with others symptoms than it is an alarming symptom and one should consult to doctor as soon as possible.
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Is It Safe To Take Pain Medications While Pregnant
Taking pain medicine while pregnant can be cause for uncertainty, but its also a commonly reported medication taken during pregnancy. According to The Centers for Disease Control , 9 out of 10 pregnant women reported taking pain medication during pregnancy. The CDC does caution women who are pregnant, or trying to conceive, against using specific pain medications and recommends that patients consult with their medical health provider prior to taking any medications or supplements while pregnant. But that doesnt mean youre out of pain options.
What Can I Take For Congestion While Pregnant
Vomiting, nausea, fatigue, and heartburn are some of the symptoms you might expect to happen early in your pregnancy. But there is one pregnancy symptom which you might not have been told about called pregnancy congestion, also known as pregnancy rhinitis. This condition affects 18-24% of all pregnant women, and can occur anytime while pregnant. Did I tell you the best part? It tends to last for 6 or more weeks and most pregnant women find it ridiculously irritating during the second and third trimester. The good news is that pregnancy congestion goes away a few weeks after you give birth, usually within 2 weeks postpartum when your fluid levels return to normal. Dont have time to read this incredible pregnancy blog? Thats okay, just listen to the podcast version Pregnancy Pukeology Podcast episode 53: Pregnancy Congestion.
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What Are Some Other Natural Remedies You Can Use To Treat Pregnancy Congestion
- Try nasal irrigation: Lets face it neti pots seem gross. But also, they can be magical creations that help your nose breathe freely. Seriously, pregnancy is already gross enough, why not give it a try. Just be sure to keep that baby super clean and only use filtered water in it.
- Use saline drops: Saline drops are basically water and salt, so theyre totally pregnancy safe. You can even make your own solution by mixing 1 cup of warm water with 1/8 tsp salt and a tiny pinch of baking soda. Oh, salty, salty relief.
- Get some nasal strips: As mentioned above, sleep is super important. Nasal strips might not be a turn-on for your bedmate, but they will help you breathe better at night.
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