Headache during pregnancy

Abstract

Headaches are a common neurological complaint during pregnancy. Most are primary and benign but secondary headaches may also occur. In the first trimester, the complaints are mainly due to primary headaches, and in the last trimester, the proportion of secondary headaches increases. This article provides clinical characteristics of secondary headaches during pregnancy. The limited range of drugs that can be used during pregnancy, in the absence of potential adverse effects on the mother and fetus/newborn, causes certain difficulties in the management of these patients. This review will consider approaches to the treatment of headaches during pregnancy. A non-drug therapeutic strategy is preferred for the treatment of primary headaches during pregnancy. Treatment should not be delayed because uncontrolled headaches can have negative effects on both the mother and the fetus. If non-drug therapy does not lead to the expected control of headache attacks, a choice should be made regarding the use of drug therapy while weighing the benefits and risks of such a choice.