Migraine during pregnancy is a common phenomenon that can be experienced even by women who have not previously had to deal with headaches. According to statistics, in every fourth case, before a migraine, women experience a so-called aura - a pathological condition that lasts from 10 to 30 minutes. A pregnant woman’s body is already close to a critical condition, so severe migraines are extremely difficult to tolerate.
Migraine during pregnancy
Light form - how to remove it?
What are the symptoms of mild migraine?
Painful sensations suddenly appear in the head. In this case, the person does not experience nausea, and there is no urge to vomit. In this case, Citramon helps. The following migraine medications are also effective for mild symptoms:
- “Askofen”;
- “Cafecil”;
- Excedrin. Acetylsalicylic acid, as well as Paracetamol, which contain tablets, have an analgesic effect. Caffeine, which is also included in the tablet, enhances the effect of the other components. The dosage is as follows: you need to take 2 tablets, this will help get rid of pain. Such drugs are contraindicated before the age of 15. The same applies to pregnancy, as well as during lactation.
Symptoms
Migraine in pregnant women during gestation can develop according to different scenarios:
- The onset of the disease for the first time;
- Transformation and weighting of the existing aura;
- Worsening of the disease in the patients treated for it;
- Maintaining pain attacks at the same level;
- Changing the nature of migraine pain.
- Subsidence of the pathological process.
The clinical picture of migraine in pregnant women is not much different from that in non-pregnant women. There are two most typical forms of the disease: simple without aura and classic with aura.
The simple form is characterized by the presence of a typical headache (pulsating, affecting one half of the head, aggravated by normal physical activity) and the classic - migraine cephalgia with reversible neurological symptoms. Difficulties with diagnosis arise only in that contingent of pregnant women in whom this condition occurs for the first time. It is they who must necessarily exclude the causes of headaches that occur secondaryly. Patients with experience will not confuse the symptoms of a migraine attack with anything else.
In the early stages of pregnancy, namely in the first trimester (up to 12 weeks of gestation), estrogen levels drop. Therefore, the frequency and strength of paroxysms increases. A woman complains of deterioration in health. Only in the second trimester the concentration of sex steroids begins to increase, reaching a maximum in the third trimester. The pregnant woman's condition is improving. She begins to suffer less frequently from migraine headaches until they disappear in late pregnancy. It was noticed that women got rid of migraines during pregnancy. This is the most favorable option for the course of the disease. Someone develops hemicrania for the first time. Then it often occurs with an aura and has a malignant course. Patients are bothered by persistent severe headaches.
Interesting: Migraine during menstruation: how to treat and causes of menstrual migraine before and during menstruation
How to deal with more serious cases?
In this case, the pain is more intense. Nausea and gag reflex are added. What helps with such symptoms? What means will bring a person out of this state? If you choose tablets, you need to focus on the following:
- "Diclofenac";
- “Nise”;
- “Ketanov.”
All these are drugs that contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
The nasal spray “Digidergot” helps a lot. This is an effective combination remedy. The spray contains dihydroergotamine as well as caffeine. The first substance has a strong vasoconstrictor effect, caffeine enhances its effect and acts as an auxiliary substance.
In order to relieve negative symptoms using a spray, it is necessary to inject the product into each nasal passage when the first signs of the disease appear. The spray can be used for relief in a maximum of 4 doses. If pain persists, repeated injection should be done 15 minutes after the first. The spray can be injected no more than 8 times per day. Maximum 24 injections per week. The spray is contraindicated for angina pectoris, as well as other diseases of the heart and blood vessels. It is appropriate to add liver dysfunction to the list; the spray should not be used during pregnancy. The same applies to lactation, age under 16 years and over 65 years.
Reasons for different trimesters
In the first trimester, the level of estrogen, which is the most important neuromodulator, decreases in the body of the expectant mother. Progesterone is actively produced, which weakens the effect of estrogen, which provokes migraine attacks. Starting from 10-12 weeks, estrogen levels normalize, which has a positive effect on the dynamics of regression of cephalgic syndrome.
The third trimester is characterized by consistently high levels of estrogen, which leads to the disappearance of pain in most patients. Estrogen is involved in the regulation of the opiateergic system (analgesic, suppressive pain), the production of melatonin, affects the level of prolactin, prostaglandin, neurotransmitters, including serotonin, catecholamine, endorphin.
When estrogen levels decrease, the sensitivity of the receptors of hypothalamic and trigeminal ganglion neurons increases. At the same time, there is an increase in the sensitivity of the elements of the circulatory system of the brain to serotonin, which has a vasoactive effect - it stimulates the contractile activity of the vascular walls. As a result, an increased perception of painful sensations develops. Other causes of migraines during pregnancy:
- Hereditary predisposition.
- Liver dysfunction.
- Tendency to hypotension.
To figure out how to treat migraine during pregnancy, it is important to undergo a diagnostic examination and identify possible malfunctions in the functioning of internal organs and systems. Factors provoking an attack:
- Atmospheric phenomena, weather changes.
- Physical and mental stress.
- Consumption of certain foods high in food additives and natural psychostimulants, which include chocolate, strong tea, coffee, wine, drinks such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola.
Sex hormones play a decisive role in the pathogenesis of cephalgic syndrome in women. Paroxysms are usually associated with phases of the menstrual cycle. During pregnancy, complex changes occur in the body, including changes in hormonal balance.
“Pentalgin plus”
If you want to know what other tablets are effective, then pay attention to Pentalgin Plus. This is a combination medicine that contains painkillers. At the very beginning of symptoms, you need to take 1 Pentalgin tablet. It is very important to remember that there are contraindications for which this drug should not be taken. Thus, Pentalgin tablets are contraindicated if the functions of the liver or kidneys are impaired. For gastric and duodenal ulcers in the acute phase, this drug is also prohibited. The same applies to blood diseases and increased intracranial pressure. During pregnancy, these pills are taboo.
The group of triptans is the best remedy
Triptans - tablets and injections - work best.
During manifestations of the disease, they lead to a narrowing of the blood vessels of the brain. In addition, triptan tablets, like injections, act on the sensory fibers of the trigeminal nerve in the dura mater of the brain. After you finish taking the triptan tablets, the headache goes away in about half an hour. If you give injections, then triptans help within 10 to 15 minutes. Not everyone can take these medications. Thus, triptans are contraindicated during pregnancy, angina pectoris and arterial hypertension. During lactation, triptans can be taken in limited quantities. So, after you have taken triptans or given injections, you should not breastfeed your baby for 24 hours. This medicine should be used with caution in case of impaired renal or liver function, or under 18 years of age. What drugs belong to the group called triptans? There are quite a lot of them. One of the best is Sumatriptan. This drug belongs to the triptan group.
What painkillers should you not take?
Before looking for painkillers for your head, find out the cause of the disease. Medicines may not be needed. Never use the following to relieve pain.
Sumatriptan
Created specifically for the treatment of migraine attacks. It constricts blood vessels, which is harmless for an adult body, but is highly not recommended for a fetus. This leads to oxygen starvation and negatively affects the development of the baby. Sumatriptan is dangerous during lactation.
Citramon P
It is not dangerous, but its use is not recommended for pregnant women. The active substance of Citramon P is paracetamol. It also contains caffeine, which is dangerous for the development of the fetus, as it directly affects its nervous system and causes pathologies in the development of the spine and brain.
This negatively affects both the future physical and mental development of the child.
Atenolol
Blocks the sensitivity of the nerve endings of the heart, reducing the heart rate and lowering blood pressure. Typically, this drug helps people suffering from headaches due to diseases of the cardiovascular system.
It is dangerous for pregnant women. Such radical changes in blood circulation negatively affect the development of the fetus, causing oxygen starvation and poisoning and defects in the development of internal organs.
Effective medicine - Sumatriptan
Sumatriptan tablets have a lot of obvious advantages:
- They are effective during exacerbations.
- Sumatriptan effectively and quickly relieves headaches.
- Sumatriptan, a member of the triptan group, does not produce a sedative effect.
- In case of excessive use, Sumatriptan is quickly eliminated and does not cause serious consequences.
One of the disadvantages of the drug “Sumatriptan” is that it has side effects. Therefore, before using Sumatriptan, be sure to consult your doctor. It is important that there are no contraindications to taking Sumatriptan. Then side effects will be minimized.
Do not forget that Sumatriptan should not be taken during pregnancy. It should be taken with extreme caution when feeding. There are other contraindications for which Sumatriptan should not be used for migraine. The doctor will rule them out and then you can take the drug.
Effective treatment of migraines during pregnancy
Migraine is a form of headache that is characterized by periodic occurrence, localization on one side of the head and duration of 2-72 hours. Migraine during pregnancy significantly affects a woman’s well-being. A particular difficulty in stopping attacks is associated with the selective use of medications that are safe for the fetus.
Statistics show that about 33% of expectant mothers suffer from migraine paroxysms. A predisposition to the development of cephalgic syndrome in women is associated with hormonal changes that occur during menstruation, gestation, lactation, and menopause. Migraine and pregnancy are interrelated concepts for many patients.
Products to fight migraines
Proper nutrition is necessary. That is, there are foods that are beneficial and harmful during exacerbations of the disease. Products that are useful:
- Freshly squeezed juices – carrot, cucumber, spinach. Potato is also suitable.
- Chamomile tea with mint. A decoction of viburnum bark. It can be consumed from the age of 16.
- Weak coffee with milk.
You need to eat the following foods:
- Liver - pork or chicken, beef. These products help with stress and fatigue due to the content of riboflavin, which protects brain cells from adverse effects.
- Pumpkin seeds are foods that are rich in magnesium, which is vital for the nervous system and, as a result, can reduce pain.
- Turkey meat.
- Products such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bell peppers and fresh herbs, as well as dried fruits.
- Cookies or cake with milk. These products are also useful in getting rid of the disease.
- Egg. Moreover, you can eat both a chicken egg and a quail egg. These products can be consumed in any form.
If you eat the right foods, you can cope with the disease. What else new can you recommend? For example, you can find points that can be used to treat a disease.
Which points and how to influence?
Magic dots work real miracles.
Pain in the head goes away quickly, and other symptoms accompanying the disease disappear. Acupressure should be done by a specialist, as it is important to determine the necessary points as accurately as possible. After all, there may be other points nearby that cannot be touched. In order to massage the necessary points, the massage therapist uses his fingertips without damaging the skin. The specialist knows which points need to be massaged. Those points that are symmetrical are massaged at the same time. To get rid of a headache, they act on some points, and to alleviate the condition, they act on other points - a special group. Massage with pressure on the points to get rid of headaches is carried out both during exacerbations and when everything is relatively well. By the way, points for each person are selected individually.
Menthol pencil is a great helper
Simply rub a menthol pencil into your temples and the pain will go away.
The thing is that a menthol pencil not only has an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effect, but also reduces the severity of pain. A menthol pencil has an irritating or distracting effect, resulting in headaches going away. In addition, the pencil constricts blood vessels. Just rub a pencil into the temple area of your head and you will feel the pain quickly go away. Therefore, do not forget about such a wonderful tool as a pencil. By the way, Botox is also effective for migraines. It is used as an auxiliary method.
Seizures during pregnancy
Migraine is a severe unilateral headache of a vascular nature, accompanied by various neurological disorders.
The disease is hereditary in nature and can develop both with the onset of pregnancy and outside of it.
For a number of women, pregnancy is an independent trigger for the development of migraine.
The distinctive signs of the disease are the presence of an “aura” and a kind of pain attack.
An aura is an unpleasant sensation that occurs before a headache: a sudden deterioration in well-being, nausea, disturbances in touch, vision and taste. The aura lasts from 5 minutes to several hours, after which it inevitably turns into a painful attack. In rare cases, there is no aura.
A migraine attack is a severe pain syndrome of a pulsating or pressing nature in one area of the head (forehead, back of the head or crown). The woman describes the sensation as “severe squeezing.” The location of the pain may vary.
An attack of pain occurs in three phases (increase, peak and decline) and leads to a significant decrease in working capacity, taking from 5 minutes to 3-4 days and causing insomnia, loss of appetite, and the inability to perform simple hygiene procedures.
Useful tincture
If we talk about traditional medicine, then tincture will be an excellent remedy for treating migraines.
The tincture is prepared in different ways, but the effect is simply magnificent. There are many plants that can be used to relieve headaches. The tincture is prepared from fresh herbs. A teaspoon of crushed leaves, as well as stems, is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused without boiling. The tincture will be ready in an hour. It is very important to remember that there are contraindications to the use of some medicinal herbs. Possible allergies. Therefore, the tincture is not always beneficial. Herbal medicine must be individual. This way you will be absolutely sure that the tincture will help in the treatment. Alcohol tincture gives a quick and impressive effect. But it takes longer to cook.
Symptoms
A migraine attack is characterized by the following symptoms:
- pain is located in one point (often the forehead, supraorbital part, back of the head);
- accompanied by severe nausea , chills, increased sensitivity to light and noise;
- the nature of the pain is pulsating, bursting ;
- any physical activity leads to increased discomfort ;
- characterized by an increase in blood pressure and body temperature .
Conspiracy - works or not?
There is no clear answer to this question. Some believe that the conspiracy helps relieve an attack, others doubt it, and a third reject the conspiracy altogether. But our ancestors were treated using similar methods. Therefore, if you decide to try to use a spell to get rid of a headache, then it is important to know the basic principles that are necessary to carry out such a healing ritual:
- The conspiracy is most effective if it is not the patient himself who is treating, but someone else.
- When carrying out a conspiracy, you need to relax, take a horizontal position - lie down on the bed.
- The plot is read in a darkened room.
- They read the plot over the patient’s head. The palms are placed with the back side on top of the forehead.
- If you are reading the plot for yourself, then touch your temples with your fingertips and perform rotational movements with your fingers.
The conspiracy, which can be different, is only an addition to the main treatment.
Patch
Meet the new miracle cure for migraines - a patch that can help relieve headaches. The patch instantly cools and makes you feel better. In addition, using the patch, it is possible to calm the nervous system and eliminate muscle spasms. It is important that the patch is safe for pregnant and nursing mothers. The patch can be used at any age.
Prevention
To reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks means that expectant mothers should follow simple preventive measures:
- ventilate the room before going to bed;
- sleep 8-9 hours;
- walk more in the fresh air, taking walks;
- avoid dehydration, drink up to 2 liters of fluid per day (if you are not worried about kidney disease);
- do not visit noisy public places during pregnancy;
- do not travel to other countries with completely different climates;
- exclude spicy seasonings, alcoholic beverages, dark chocolate from the diet;
- eat more often, but in small portions;
- avoid hypothermia and overheating in the sun;
- drink soothing decoctions and teas (folk remedies for migraines during pregnancy) so that there is no fear or anxiety about the possible occurrence of a headache.
You can always adjust and coordinate preventive measures taking into account your condition with a gynecologist. It is with an individual approach to the problem that it is possible to ease the course of pregnancy and reduce the number of attacks.
If an unexpected migraine occurs during pregnancy, it is important for every woman to know how to treat it in order to speed up relief and not harm the growing baby.
Tea
Herbal tea is a great help for eliminating pain in the head. Chamomile, mint, and other plants are added to tea, brewed and drunk. Green tea is beneficial. It is not necessary to add herbs to tea here. It is enough to simply brew regular green tea strongly, but it is only important that the tea is first brewed. In addition, you can drink tea with lemon balm - it is also very effective. This tea not only relieves pain in the head, but also has a calming effect. Herbal tea will help you quickly cope with pain, calm down and relax. Therefore, in case of an attack, do not forget about such an effective remedy as tea.