Headaches in pregnancy

January 10, 2010

The fact that two out of three pregnant women stop having headaches during pregnancy is well established, however a study by Norwegian researchers published in Headache provides some additional details. Women with headaches who are pregnant for the first time tend to have fewer headaches than non-pregnant women or women during subsequent pregnancies. This is especially true in the third trimester. Non-pregnant women who had never been pregnant were less likely to have headaches than women who had been. If a woman does have headaches during pregnancy, the initial treatment should consist of non-drug therapies, such as biofeedback or meditation, magnesium and other supplements, acupuncture, and if headaches are frequent, Botox injections.

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Alexander Mauskop, MD
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