Are Headaches Common In Early Pregnancy?
Headaches can happen to anyone during early pregnancy.
Some women don’t experience any headaches. However, the majority of women will notice they experience more headaches in the first trimester.
Headaches can begin as early as 4 weeks of pregnancy. This is when the hormone levels really start to shift.
Pregnancy can worsen headaches if you’re already prone to them.
You might observe that your headache only affects a particular region of your head. Or it might travel about, appearing in different places.
The majority of headaches will either be general and dull or sharp and throbbing.
Unless it’s a migraine, a headache won’t cause other symptoms.
What causes headaches in early pregnancy?
In the first trimester, your body is undergoing massive changes.
Hormone levels shift and surge. Your blood volume also increases. These modifications increase your likelihood of frequently getting headaches.
There are additional elements that may exacerbate headaches in the first trimester of pregnancy, including:
Why else might I get headaches during pregnancy?
Besides hormonal changes, there are many triggers that cause headaches in general, but might occur more often when you’re pregnant, such as:
Many of these triggers can cause tension headaches, which are very common. The pain is usually mild and on both sides of your head.
Some of these triggers can cause migraines, which are more severe and mostly occur on one side of your head. If you have migraines, you might also feel sick or vomit and be sensitive to light or sound.
After 20 weeks of pregnancy, if you experience frequent headaches, this may indicate pre-eclampsia, a more serious pregnancy condition. Pre-eclampsia is high blood pressure that sometimes also affects other body parts, including the kidneys. Simple painkillers like paracetamol might not be effective if you have a pre-eclampsia headache.
If you experience severe headaches or headaches in the second half of your pregnancy, it’s imperative that you inform your doctor or midwife.
During your pregnancy, if you experience a severe headache, call your doctor or midwife. It could be something more serious.
Similar to when you’re not pregnant, a headache may occasionally be an indication of other medical conditions, such as: