From HealthNewsDigest.com

Women's Health
Pregnancy and Migraine
By
Jun 1, 2015 - 11:41:33 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - MOUNT ROYAL, NJ (June 1, 2015) -Women who suffer from migraine need to be aware of a few special considerations before becoming pregnant, according to the American Migraine Foundation.  Among these considerations are whether the frequency of their migraine attacks will change, and how lifestyle modifications before pregnancy may avoid potentially dangerous complications.  Migraine and pregnancy is just one of the topics covered in a series of articles on www.AmericanMigraineFoundation.org on women and migraine.

The articles were developed in cooperation with Sheena Aurora, MD, FAHS,Clinical Associate Professor, Neurology & Neurological Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine and American Headache Society board member, and Foundation Chair David W. Dodick, MD, FRCP (C), who is also Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine.

"If you suffer from migraine, there's a good chance your migraine attacks will improve during pregnancy," says Dr. Dodick.  "Research has shown that 50-80% of women who have migraine before pregnancy may notice a reduction in migraine attacks, especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, likely due to a rise in estrogen levels."

Studies show that approximately one-third of women with migraine have fewer attacks during pregnancy.  This is particularly true if they have migraine attacks that are associated with menstruation.  Another third of women with migraine have the same number of attacks during pregnancy.  Some women who didn't previously experience migraine attacks, however, get these attacks for the first time during pregnancy, and others who already have migraine may have more severe attacks during this time.

"Women with migraine should consider many aspects of pregnancy that migraines may affect," says Dr. Aurora.  "They should also talk with their doctor about what, if any, migraine medications to take during this time."

Pregnancy complications may also be an issue for some migraine sufferers. A recent National Institutes of Health sponsored study by researchers at Swedish Medical Center (Seattle, WA) found that women with migraine were more at risk for vascular complications, had more sleep abnormalities, and seemed to be more overweight during pregnancy. 

"Keeping this in mind, we ask our migraine patients to make sure their blood pressure and cholesterol are under control, and to stop smoking before they get pregnant," says Dr. Aurora.  "If you have migraine, you should be seeing a migraine specialist, and make sure your obstetrician and migraine specialist are communicating regularly before and during your pregnancy.  In some cases, your migraine specialist may also bring in a perinatologist, who specializes in maternal-fetal medicine, or a pregnancy pharmacologist."

Dr. Aurora also strongly suggests that patients and their physicians look closely at lifestyle factors including nutrition, hydration, exercise and sleep.  "Patients need to recognize stressful situations and learn how to cope with them by learning relaxation techniques or meditation," she says.  "Pregnant women who suffer from migraine should also speak with their doctor about whether yoga or massage are safe and might be helpful." 

www.AmericanMigraineFoundation.org has a range of resources that migraine sufferers and the public can turn to for information about living with and managing many aspects of migraine. The site's "Spotlight" feature changes topics on a regular basis throughout the year. In addition to the article discussed above, the current "Spotlight on Women and Migraine" includes articles that discuss menstruation, estrogen and migraine; the spike in migraine incidence in young women following the onset of puberty; and the relationship between migraine, perimenopause and menopause. The site also includes "Headache Journal Toolboxes for Women and Migraine," which links to a number of resources, published in the American Headache Society journal Headache, which can help women better understand migraine and how to better cope with migraine attacks.

ABOUT MIGRAINE: Some 36 million Americans live with migraine, more than have asthma and diabetes combined.  An estimated three to seven million Americans live with chronic migraine, a highly disabling neurological disorder. Migraine can be extremely disabling and costly, accounting for more than $20 billion in direct (e.g. doctor visits, medications) and indirect (e.g. missed work, lost productivity) expenses each year in the United States. 

ABOUT THE AMERICAN MIGRAINE FOUNDATION: The American Migraine Foundation is a non-profit foundation supported by the American Headache Society and generous donors dedicated to the advancement of migraine research. Its mission is to support innovative research that will lead to improvement in the lives of those who suffer from migraine and other disabling headaches. www.AmericanMigraineFoundation.org is the companion website to the American Headache Society (www.AmericanHeadacheSociety.org), the professional services organization for the world's foremost clinicians and researchers working in migraine.

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