Dizziness is sometimes difficult to describe. It may be a feeling of faintness, light headedness, or a feeling that the body or the surroundings are moving or swirling. A person may feel on the verge of fainting and may actually pass out or faint. A feeling of weakness and unsteadiness which may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting.
Getting a headache every once in a while during the first few months of pregnancy is common and is usually caused by altered hormone levels and increased blood volume. Fatigue and stress can also contribute, as can too much caffeine.
If your headaches don't go away or seem particularly painful, throbbing, or similar to migraine, contact your doctor immediately. They may be a warning sign of something serious.
Dizziness is another common concern in pregnant women and has many causes:
- Changes in circulation, which may shift blood flow from your brain, can make you feel light-headed.
- Hunger, which may keep your brain from getting enough energy (a condition called hypoglycemia in which the blood sugar is too low).
- Dehydration, which can reduce the amount of blood flow to the brain.
- Fatigue and stress.
- Ectopic pregnancy, especially if you are feeling very dizzy, if you have vaginal bleeding, or if you have pain in your abdomen.
The exception may be when dizziness occurs due to some complication of pregnancy, notably an ectopic pregnancy. However, pregnancy should not detract the fact that there are other unrelated causes of dizziness which need to be investigated.
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