Experiencing headaches during pregnancy is one of the most common discomforts and complaints.

Getting a migraine during pregnancy is common, and so is the possibility of tension headache or stress headache. The headaches you experience can get better in pregnancy, because the progesterone causes the blood vessels to relax and not spasm, which is often a cause of bad headaches. If you do suffer from increased headaches during pregnancy, you may be particularly sensitive to your hormones or have had headache problems before your pregnancy. Treating headaches during pregnancy can be tricky as most pregnant women will want to avoid taking pain relieving medications, but there are ways to relieve the pain without turning to medication. If you are experiencing headaches in pregnancy, discuss this symptom with your doctor and then prepare to tackle the cause of your headaches at their roots.

What causes headaches during pregnancy?

An increase in headaches during the first trimester is believed to be caused by the surge of hormones along with an increase in the blood volume circulating throughout your body. These headaches may be further aggravated by stress, poor posture or changes in your vision. Other causes of headaches during pregnancy may involve one or more of the following:

* Lack of sleep

* Low blood sugar

* Dehydration

* Caffeine withdrawal

Good News for Pregnant Women Suffering from Headaches

Pregnancy brings a lot of changes: women who would suffer from horrible attacks of migraines start feeling relieved after the onset of the pregnancy; at the same time, there are women who experience horrible headaches during pregnancy - mostly during the first and the last trimesters.

There is still no clear explanation why pregnant women who suffer from migraines before pregnancy will not suffer headaches during pregnancy, and vice versa. Some medical research studies suggest that the reason could be attributed to the increased levels of hormones in the blood, especially estrogen and progesterone.

Serotonin, a substance found in the blood, that is known as a 'brain-chemical' (which is responsible for regulation of pain), is greatly influenced by the existence of the above-mentioned hormones in the blood of pregnant women. It seems that when the levels of estrogen falls, the levels of Serotonin will increase and vice-versa.

Basically, causes for headache during pregnancy remain general, i.e. stress, bad posture, hormonal changes in the blood, blood pressure, muscle tension, and so on. Relief can be achieved by simply identifying the cause and eliminating it; however, identifying the cause can be quite difficult and confusing. If possible, try to stay away from people who are stressful and always keep the communication lines between you and your partner open.

2. Try using compresses to relieve the pain. Apply a warm or cool compress to your forehead or the base of your neck can indeed do wonders for migraines.

3. If possible, take a shower as often as you can. Since cold showers help constrict dilated blood vessels in the body, it is a simple and easy remedy for headaches. If it's not possible to take a shower, make sure that you can splash cool water on your face to relieve the pain.

4. Indulge into a relaxing and soothing massage. A full-body massage administered by a trained therapist can do wonders in untangling the knots of pain in your head during pregnancy. Ask him/her to concentrate on the neck, shoulder, and back muscles to relieve the stress.

Some doctors have achieved excellent results in treating pregnancy headaches by regulating estrogen levels. Obviously, estrogen does influence the levels of Serotonin, and careful regulation might provide the much-awaited relief from headaches during pregnancy. Though headaches in pregnancy may be common, they needn't be accepted without a fight. Getting enough rest, moving slowly through pregnancy, eating enough nutritious food and getting as comfortable as needed are all ways of combating pregnancy headaches.