How common is severe headache in pregnancy in pre-eclampsia?

Pre-eclampsia involves high blood pressure and can affect organs during pregnancy. Headache may reflect this process, particularly when it does not improve with rest or approved pain relief. It can also have other explanations, such as migraine, dehydration, illness, or poor sleep, so the symptom does not diagnose pre-eclampsia by itself.

Assessment commonly includes blood pressure, urine, and sometimes blood tests, along with questions about vision, abdominal pain, swelling, nausea, and breathing. Your clinician may also check the baby and decide whether you need observation or further monitoring.

Contact your maternity unit or pregnancy clinician promptly if you develop a severe headache. Describe its onset, severity, duration, and any accompanying symptoms. Rest somewhere safe and drink fluids if appropriate, but do not wait at home if the headache is escalating or you feel unwell. Take medicine only if your pregnancy care team has approved it.

Go to emergency maternity care immediately for a sudden or extreme headache, visual disturbance, confusion, weakness, trouble speaking, seizure, fainting, severe pain beneath the ribs, chest pain, or shortness of breath. Urgent review is also needed when vomiting prevents fluids or the headache persists despite the plan given by your clinician.

Ask: Could this headache be related to pre-eclampsia? What are my blood pressure and urine results? Do I need blood tests or fetal monitoring? Which symptoms require immediate hospital care, and who do I call overnight or at the weekend?