What Can You Do to Relieve Pregnancy Headaches?

What Can You Do to Relieve Pregnancy Headaches?
by Josh A Harding

you want to give yourself the best chance for relief. The most commonly appearing
headaches in pregnant women are tension, migraine, and hormonal. Hormonal
headaches, also known as menstrual migraines, are migraine headaches with
hormone imbalances as their cause. So in actuality, the two most common types of
headaches during pregnancy are tension-type and migraine, as hormonal headaches
can be grouped into the migraine category.

These two headache types are normally easy to tell apart, but due to several similar
symptoms they can often be mistaken for each other. Tension headaches are usually
felt around the entire head, from the back to the front. They are normally a
"pressure-type" dull ache where it feels as if the head has a large band placed around
it and it is being squeezed tightly.

Migraines are classically different in that they will usually be felt as a throbbing and
pulsating headache that is felt only on one side of the head. However, one-third of
the time they will be felt on both sides. Most of the time these two headaches can be
diagnosed correctly due to the pounding or no pounding, one side or two side
symptoms, but not always.

If you are unsure as to which type of headache you're experiencing there are several
treatment methods that can be used that are safe and effective for both types during
pregnancy. The fastest and easiest approach for treating either type of headache is
through tension reduction. Anything you can do to calm down and relax will help
relieve tension which can help reduce or stop the headache pain. Simply lying down in
a dark quiet room can be all it takes to quell the pain. Also, hopping into a relaxing
warm tub is another good way to relax.

Another safe way to relieve headache pain during pregnancy is to gently massage
painful areas. It is usually most helpful to massage the temples in a gentle circular
motion and also any other tender facial or scalp areas. Additionally, squeezing the
pad of flesh located between the thumb and first finger for 30 to 60 seconds, and
then repeating this action on the other hand, can often bring about fast relief.

Meditation or self-hypnosis are two other fine approaches. If you can get your mind
off the pain and onto something else that is relaxing and enjoyable it is often
beneficial for relieving pain. There are many things that a pregnant woman can do to
relieve pain when painkillers and herbal remedies are not an option.

About The Author

Josh A Harding

If you would like to learn more about and how to stop
them for good, just visit .

Pregnancy is hard enough without
adding an illness or other painful
disorder into the mix. When a
headache develops during pregnancy
you have fewer treatment options
than usual because many relief
methods may be dangerous to the
unborn baby. So what can you do to
relieve your painful migraine
headache or tension headache when
you can't resort to pain pills or herbal
remedies?

Your first step is to determine what
type of headache you have. Knowing
the type of headache is important if

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The content on
this website is for educational purposes only. Please consult with your physician before using natural
remedies and before making any drastic changes to your diet or exercise program.