Pregnancy usually spells a whole lot of joy and excitement for the mother-to-be, and yet one cannot deny the fact that there are those niggling health issues that take over. Morning sickness, bloating, nausea and headaches are some of the common problems that a pregnant woman can be afflicted with. Of these, headache and dizziness during pregnancy are two of the most common symptoms that take over. Why do these come about and what is one to do about the same? In the following article, we will be concentrating on these issues and giving you a run down on the varied reasons that cause dizziness and headaches during pregnancy.
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Reasons for Headache and Dizziness During Pregnancy
Is headache and dizziness a sign of pregnancy? It very much is so. In fact, this is one of the first signs that you can take as a tell tale sign of pregnancy. Though these symptoms are most prevalent in the first trimester of the pregnancy, they could well continue throughout the pregnancy as well. Why does this happen? What causes headaches during pregnancy?
Lowered Blood Pressure
When a woman is pregnant, the hormonal levels in the body undergo a major change. This then leads to several changes in the body. The main one is that of lowered blood pressure. This happens because the blood flow is directed to the uterus and causes less flow to the rest of the body. This automatically leads to lowered blood pressure and leads less blood supply to the brain and thus leads to dizziness and headaches.
Low Sugar Levels
There are incidents of headaches and fainting during pregnancy. One of the main reasons for this is the lowered sugar levels in the body. When there are so many hormonal changes taking place in the body, it can affect the sugar levels in the body. This stands more true if there the woman is anemic. When there is less sugar in the body, it can lead to dizziness and fainting.
Fatigue and Stress
Fatigue and stress are the factors that pressure the system and curb the proper working of all bodily functions. This can then lead to physical symptoms of headache and dizziness. As the baby starts to grow and there is added pressure put on the uterus, it can cause headaches and dizziness spells.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a dangerous condition for a pregnant woman to be facing because of the delicate condition that she is in, and for what it can mean for the baby’s condition. Water allows the blood to circulate better and is thereby, responsible for transporting the nutrients throughout the body. Along with that, it cools the system and leads to dispelling the toxins out of the body. Dehydration can definitely lead to dizziness.
Other Reasons
Along with these reasons, there are also others which can lead to the same. These include an increased intake of caffeine or even withdrawal symptoms of the same, exertion, strenuous exercises, and side effects of certain medication.
Headache and Dizziness During Pregnancy – Solutions
One has to be careful with the kind of treatment that is administered for a pregnant woman because it can affect the baby. That is why the kind of medication administered is carefully monitored and usually, natural means of treating these conditions are preferably adopted. Here are some of the solutions that one can look into for treating these symptoms:
- Lie down so that the blood flow reaches the brain and brings about instant relief.
- Concentrate on your breathing and ensure that you are taking in deep, full breaths. This will ensure that high levels of oxygen are pummeled into the body.
- Eat a few pieces of chocolate. This will ensure an immediate spike in the sugar levels and deal with the headache and dizziness.
- Use a cold compress over the neck and forehead.
- Ensure that you are eating regular meals so that there is no nutritional deficiency.
These are some of the most effective ways of dealing with headaches during pregnancy and to relieve. And now that you know what causes headache and dizziness during pregnancy and how to deal with them, you can deal with this condition effectively well.
Tiffany is a Medical Student and also works as a fitness coach in part-time. She is also a writer and writes on health and fitness articles. Tiffany loves to engage with users and help them provide various useful information on General Health. She provides researched-based information and also featured on various blogs and magazines.