What should you know about heavy headache during pregnancy?

Pregnancy can change sleep, hydration, appetite, posture, and sensitivity to stress. A cold, COVID-19, allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, dehydration, heat exhaustion, or generalised anxiety disorder may also cause headache symptoms. The headache itself does not identify the cause. A clinician needs to consider the stage of pregnancy, blood pressure, previous headache history, medicines, and symptoms such as visual disturbance, swelling, upper abdominal pain, fever, or vomiting.

Rest in a quiet room, drink fluids in small frequent amounts, and eat a light meal if you can. Avoid overheating and note your blood pressure only if your maternity team has advised home checks. Do not start, stop, or combine pain medicines, herbal products, or decongestants without checking that they are suitable in pregnancy. Write down onset, location, severity, duration, triggers, and associated symptoms so your care team can respond clearly.

Seek urgent maternity or emergency care for a sudden severe headache, blurred or flashing vision, new weakness, confusion, seizure, fainting, severe breathlessness, chest pain, fever with neck stiffness, or severe vomiting. Contact your maternity team promptly for a headache that persists, returns frequently, worsens, or comes with facial or hand swelling, upper abdominal pain, or reduced wellbeing. These symptoms need assessment rather than home observation alone.

Ask whether your symptoms need a blood-pressure check, urine assessment, examination, or treatment review. Share your pregnancy stage, previous headaches, fluid intake, recent illness, medicines, vision changes, swelling, pain, and any home readings your clinician requested.