It can easily be strong to navigate all of the aches and pains of pregnancy while likewise maintaining your growing baby safe. Here’s exactly what to understand as quickly as your head is throbbing and you’re desperately searching for relief.
What could be causing your headache
“It’s absolutely crucial to determine the create of the headache prior to attempting to manage it,” said Dr. James Bernasko, Director of the Local Perinatal Focus at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. Pregnancy headaches can easily range from “the merely inconvenient to the actually life-threatening,” so context is particularly important, Bernasko added.
Possible induces include:
- Fatigue
- Stress
- Eye strain
- Dehydration
- Nasal congestion
- Hormonal fluctuations
- Caffeine withdrawal
- Migraine
- Preeclampsia
If you have actually a family history of higher blood pressure, stroke, or aneurysms, or you are experiencing the “worst headache of your life,” call your provider immediately, Bernasko said.
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What could help
Non-pharmacological options
“Sometimes, something as easy as chocolate can easily create a headache” throughout pregnancy, so it’s worth testing out a couple of non-pharmacological remedies first, Bernasko said. If you’re suffering from chronic headaches, think of acupuncture or biofeedback, a technique that allows you to channel and dissipate your pain.
Things to try:
- Warm compress on the face (sinus headache)
- Cold compress on the spine of the neck (Pressure headache)
- Meditation
- Massage
Over-the-counter medication options
Tylenol
Tylenol, sold as the generic acetaminophen, is “the safest headache medication” throughout pregnancy and is not associated along with any kind of known birth defects, according to Bernasko. However, you must stay away from taking a lot more compared to 1500 milligrams within 24 hours as overuse can easily damage your liver.
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Ibruprofen, aspirin, naproxen (NSAID)
This group of pain relievers is known as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). They must just be taken after consulting along with your doctor, as prolonged usage can easily irritate the stomach and affect blood flow in the baby’s heart, Bernasko said.
However, “if Tylenol hasn’t worked for you in the past… you can easily take one pill of any kind of of [the above] then reach out to your provider,” Bernasko said. The bottom line: NSAIDs are “not something you must take multiple times free of your provider knowing.”
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Caffeine
“throughout some types of headaches your blood vessels enlarge… Caffeine can easily advice prevent this action” since it constricts your blood vessels, wrote Dr. Talia Gates, an OB/GYN in Jasper, Alabama, in an email to TODAY. Gates recommends combining Tylenol and a caffeinated drink for dual relief.
Yet as Bernasko points out, caffeine withdrawal or overdose could have actually caused your headache in the initial place, so guarantee to factor in Exactly how a lot you’ve already consumed.
Prescription options
Narcotics, likewise known as opioids, are “everywhere now,” Bernasko said, so it can easily be tempting to pop one for a headache. However, these medications can easily be addictive and “must just be taken under direct medical supervision,” Bernasko explained. Additionally, prolonged usage of narcotics can easily create your baby to make neonatal abstinence syndrome and undergo a painful withdrawal process after birth.
Narcotic analgesic combinations, which contain acetaminophen or an NSAID in addition to an opioid, pose similar risks. Yet if your over-the-counter choices are falling short, your doctor could suggest among the “safe medications” within this group, said Gates.
Triptans (migraine medication)
If you’ve already been prescribed a triptan for migraines, it’s safe to keep on using throughout pregnancy, Bernasko said. Otherwise, consult your doctor to locate the right medication for your symptoms.
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