Pregnancy and Migraine

Migraineheadaches are a type of vascular headache that results from blood vessels dilating directly in the brain. These are different from stress or tension headaches. Migraine headaches are like the lottery when it comes to pregnancy. If you were prone to getting migraines before getting pregnant, you may experience stronger headaches, or you may find that they diminish during pregnancy. It is also normal to experience your first migraine when you are pregnant. Here is everything you need to know.



Causes of Migraine Headaches
What exactly causes migraine headaches isn't known. But, migraines appear to involve changes in nerve pathways, neurochemicals, and blood flow in the brain. Researchers believe that overly excited brain cells stimulate a release of chemicals. These chemicals irritate blood vessels on the brain's surface. That, in turn, causes blood vessels to swell and stimulate the pain response. Estrogen is thought to play a role in migraines. That's why pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause often change a woman's pattern of migraine headaches.

Frequency of Migraines during Pregnancy
Many women have migraines for the first time when they’re expecting, while some women with a history of migraines get them more often. As with other pregnancy headaches, pregnancy can up your odds of a migraine since your hormones are out of whack. A few other pregnancy-related triggers include fatigue, tension, blood sugar drops, physical or emotional stress, nasal congestion, overheating—or a combination of all of these.

Medications for Migraine Relief
Most health care providers consider acetaminophen (Tylenol) to be the pain relief medication of choice during pregnancy, but you should always talk to your doctor before taking any medication.Pregnant women should NOT take anything containing aspirin or ibuprofen unless prescribed by a health care provider. Always consult your doctor about the best form of pain relief for your migraines.

What you can do to relieve the pain
●Eat regularly. Yes, it’s a license to snack, so your blood sugar stays stable. Make sure it’s a healthy snack rather than chocolate or sweets: the crash that follows a sugar high can bring on a migraine.

●Sleep, nap, rest. Great advice for any mama-in-waiting, but it’s worth stating again because sleep deprivation has been linked to headache and dizziness. Take afternoon naps and schedule early nights.

●Get some fresh air. Hormones are playing with your body temperature and chances are you’re generally more sensitive to smell and light, so spending too much time holed up inside can make you feel hot and stuffy. Commit to taking a 20-minute walk outside every day.

●Stay hydrated. “Gentle exercise in pregnancy is vital but it can lead to dehydration which can bring on headaches. Make sure you drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.

●Try a relaxation technique. Pregnancy yoga, meditation, massage, biofeedback, and acupuncture, even a little mindful coloring: do whatever it takes to relax your mind and beat stress.

●Identify triggers: Keep a migraine diary so you can track your triggers. Whether it’s hunger, caffeine, too much time in front of a screen or that sneaky pint of ice-cream you accidentally ate for lunch, identifying a pattern means you’ll know what to avoid.

As with any treatment plan, it’s essential that you consult with a doctor before moving forward. If you are a migraine patient and are expecting a child, make an appointment with your physician to discuss the best course of action.
Location: New York, NY, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why you should find a Primary Care Physician?

Image
Who is a primary care physician? A primary care doctor or physician is the physician you first seen in case you have a health problem. Your primary care doctor will help you get the best care and also talk to medical specialists about your health case so that you can get the best treatment. He or she will be involved in your healthcare for a long time. You will always receive primary medical care in an outpatient setting just like you would do in a doctor’s clinic or office. You may be looking to change your primary care physician or get a new one. Never be worried! To find a doctor near you is an important step towards managing your healthcare. Your primary physician is always your medical “Home”. This is the medical doctor you will visit most mostly if you have medical needs such as routine screening, non-emergency diseases such as sore throat and earaches, wellness visits and when you need someone to ask of health questions or conce...
Read more

Genetic Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency (GSID)

Image
Sucrose or table sugar is a disaccharide that is made up of two simple sugars linked together by glycosidic bonds. The two simple sugars are glucose and fructose. Maltose is also another disaccharide made up of two glucose molecules. Human beings cannot absorb sucrose or maltose directly from the small intestines to the blood stream. Therefore, two enzyme known as Sucrase and Isomaltase are needed to cleave sucrose and maltose into glucose and fructose which are simple sugars (monosaccharide) that can be absorbed from the digestive track to the blood stream. If there is absence or low levels of sucrose and isomaltase, then a person is unable to break down sucrose or starch. What is GSID? Genetic Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency (GSID) is a rare genetic disorder that affects one’s ability to digest sucroseor maltose due to low levels or absence of two digestive enzymes, Isomaltase and Sucrase. Sucrase and Isomaltase are two enzymes that are associated with digestion of starch and ...
Read more

Benefits of Social Media States Healthcare

Image
Many social media tools are available for health care professionals (HCPs), including social networking platforms, blogs, microblogs, wikis, media-sharing sites, and virtual reality and gaming environments.These tools can be used to improve or enhance professional networking and education, organizational promotion, patient care, patient education, and public health programs.  Social media provide HCPs with tools to share information, to debate health care policy and practice issues, to promote health behaviors, to engage with the public, and to educate and interact with patients, caregivers, students, and colleagues. HCPs can use social media to potentially improve health outcomes, develop a professional network, increase personal awareness of news and discoveries, motivate patients, and provide health information to the community. Physicians most often join online communities where they can read news articles, listen to experts, research medical developments, cons...
Read more