Panic attacks during pregnancy: causes, treatments, reviews

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

For most people, the concept of "panic attack" is associated with an unstable mental state. Indeed, the nature of such phenomena is directly related to the psycho-emotional background of the organism. It is impossible to predict in advance how panic attacks will affect a woman and an unborn child during pregnancy. In one case, they can pose a threat to both mother and baby, in another, the gestation period can become, on the contrary, a way to cure. Often on thematic forums you can find topics where women suffering from such disorders share their fears, for example, you can often find a similar complaint: "Because of panic attacks, I'm afraid of pregnancy." What are the features of the manifestation of the disease, how can it affect the process of bearing and how to deal with it?

Panic attack concept

In medicine, this process is called a sudden attack of anxiety,as a rule, inexplicable, literally exhausting the person who was attacked. The feeling of fear, turning into panic, is often accompanied by various psychosomatic symptoms, aggravating an already painful condition. The duration of such states varies from several minutes to several hours.

Panic attacks during pregnancy are not uncommon. In this state, the expectant mother experiences an inexplicable feeling of fear, which is sometimes simply impossible to cope with. The body of a pregnant woman is subjected to a severe test, and when panic attacks are added to poor physical he alth, existence becomes unbearable.

Among the terms that define inexplicable anxiety states, one can also hear the following: cardioneurosis or vegetovascular dystonia with a crisis course. However, these are all just definitions of panic attacks.

Causes of autonomic disorders in pregnant women

It cannot be said that a panic attack is an independent disease. Such phenomena do not occur in a vacuum. The nature of their origin lies not in a physical illness, but in the psycho-emotional state of a woman during pregnancy.

Provoking factors may be:

1. A woman's natural anxiety. Anxiety about the he alth of the baby, fear of childbirth, fear of harming the child (falling on the stomach, having an accident and other phobias). All of these fears combined can trigger a bout of intense anxiety.
2. Characteristicspregnant woman. Often overly emotional restless personalities become an easy target. If a woman by nature is accustomed to worry about every minor reason, then the risk of a vegetative crisis during the period of gestation increases several times.
3. Changes in the hormonal background. In this case, panic attacks during pregnancy are considered as a consequence of a violation of the proper functioning of individual systems and organs of a woman. For example, as a symptom of a disturbance in the functioning of the brain or as a result of neurosis-like conditions.
4. Stress and phobias. A conflict situation, a large crowd of people, or, on the contrary, too close a closed space - all this can cause a strong attack of anxiety.

What does a woman experience during an attack?

In addition to the inexplicable and uncontrollable feeling of fear during an attack, women also experience other uncomfortable symptoms, including:

• tachycardia (rapid heartbeat);
• chill;
• feeling hot (sometimes with fever);
• excessive sweating (sudden release of cold sweat on the skin);
• hand shake;
• suffocation (suffocation);
• digestive disorders such as constipation or diarrhea;
• attacks of nausea (sometimes with vomiting);
• frequent urination;
• feeling of numbness in limbs;
• dry mouth (inability to swallowdue to the sensation of a lump in the throat);
• disorientation;
• disbalance;
• dizziness;
• blood pressure fluctuations;
• cramps in the limbs (especially before childbirth).

If a pregnant woman is experiencing at least some of the above symptoms, she needs specialist advice and help. Pregnancy with VSD and panic attacks is carried out under the supervision of not only a gynecologist, but also a psychotherapist.

What is the danger to the fetus?

Practice shows that anxiety during pregnancy does not pose a threat to the he alth of the fetus. In most cases, women who suffer from panic attacks during the period of gestation give birth to absolutely he althy children. On the contrary, a woman instinctively tries, despite her fears, to endure and give birth to a long-awaited child.

The so-called nesting instinct gradually replaces the anxious state, makes a woman distract from her fears and switch to future offspring. Experts recommend not focusing on recurring attacks, so as not to provoke frequent manifestations of attacks. After all, the more a woman thinks about the approach of another attack, the more often anxiety states manifest themselves.

And if this does not affect the he alth of the baby, then the course of pregnancy can be affected. For example, severe panic attacks in early pregnancy can provoke spontaneous abortion, and in later pregnancy can cause prematurechildbirth.

In addition, overexertion of a woman's muscles during an attack can lead the uterus into a state of hypertonicity, as a result of which the fetus begins to experience oxygen starvation (fetal hypoxia).

In the desire to get rid of another attack, the expectant mother becomes less cautious and may take a drug that is strictly contraindicated for use during pregnancy.

That is why it is so important to pay attention to your condition and seek help at the first manifestations of panic attacks.

Treatment of autonomic disorders

If the attack has already begun, it is quite difficult to cope with it. The main problem is that it is impossible to reliably determine when the body will undergo the next attack. However, one can learn to avoid such conditions if the cause of the autonomic disorder is established. Treatment of panic attacks during pregnancy is possible, the main thing is to contact a specialist in time.

First, you should contact your gynecologist and exclude the somatic nature of the occurrence of disorders (bodily diseases). If these are not found, it is important to find a qualified psychotherapist and consult with him about your fears. The specialist will help to identify the factors that provoke anxiety and learn how to avoid them. With severe panic attacks during pregnancy, the psychotherapist prescribes medications (sparing antipsychotic "Sertrolin", "Fluoxetine"), helping to removepsychological tension. Such therapy can last up to several months before a woman feels confident. The drugs prescribed by the doctor should be gradually stopped no later than two months before delivery.

Features of treatment

It is important to understand that tranquilizers and antidepressants are contraindicated for women who are carrying a child. Therefore, the main direction in treatment comes down to eliminating the causes of their appearance and teaching a woman what to do with panic attacks during pregnancy, which consist in methods of self-help to the body during an attack.

Breathing exercises

The meaning of this method is to increase the duration of the exhalation (the inhalation should be shorter than the exhalation). When performing the exercise, you will need a stopwatch. It is performed as follows:

1. Sit up straight and turn your shoulders.
2. Inhale deeply for five seconds, hold your breath for another five seconds, and exhale slowly. The first time the exhalation does not exceed the duration of the inhalation.
3. With the next breath, it is necessary to reduce the breath hold to four seconds, and increase the duration of exhalation to six seconds.
4. Then the exercise is repeated with a uniform reduction in the pause (holding the breath) and an increase in the duration of the exhalation.
5. The duration of the final exhalation should reach ten seconds with a five-second inhalation.

This exercise, as well as yoga classes, help relieve tension and preventanother panic attack during pregnancy.

Muscle relaxation training

This method helps to prepare the body for the next attack. The essence of the method is the ability to completely relax. As a rule, in stressful situations, including during an attack, the muscles spontaneously tighten. To avoid the negative consequences of such tension, it is necessary to teach the body to relax. This can be achieved through training based on alternating muscle tension and relaxation.

Features of training

Regular classes consist of the following exercises:

1. Stretch and make a fist with all fingers.
2. Maximum wrist flexion (forearm muscle training).
3. Raise to shoulder level and spread arms bent at the elbows.
4. Maximum move both shoulder blades to the center of the back, then move them down.
5. In a sitting position, raise straight legs.
6. Pull the toes up and towards you, and the heels down (without spreading the socks to the sides).
7. Leaving the feet in tension, bend the toes.

Initially, each exercise should alternate with complete relaxation. Then you can combine several exercises before the next relaxation. As a result, the body gets used to the tension of all muscles, followed by a sharp relaxation, accompanied by a deep exhalation. It is important to learn how to breathe properly while doing tension and relaxation exercises. Breathing should be nasal, even and withoutdelays.

First workouts won't be easy. You must constantly monitor your breathing. As you get used to it, the body will learn to work harmoniously, the purpose of which is to be able to completely relax without pre-stressing. To obtain a lasting result, it is recommended to repeat relaxing exercises several times a day.

Additional methods in complex treatment

To distract from anxious thoughts and reduce the frequency of panic attacks, experts recommend treatments such as:

• acupuncture (acupuncture);
• light therapy (he alth technique, which consists in exposing the body to light waves);
• art therapy (creativity);
• aromatherapy (impact on the body with the help of smells);
• infrared radiation (healing electromagnetic radiation);
• phytotherapy (treatment using medicinal plants).

Behavior during an attack

Another panic attack is the right moment to test the acquired knowledge in practice. If a woman has already learned to completely relax, then this is the first thing to try to do during an attack. At the same time, it is extremely important to maintain even, calm breathing (deep inhalation and longer exhalation).

According to the reviews, it is equally important to ensure the flow of fresh air during panic attacks (open a window or go outside from a stuffy room).

If the blood pressure during an attack is low, it is advisable to lie down in such a wayso that the legs are located above the level of the head. With reduced pressure, you can drink a cup of not too strong coffee or strong sweetened tea.

When high pressure is better to drink chilled water. It is advisable to sit or lie down in a comfortable position and apply a cool compress to the forehead.

If the attack is accompanied by weakness, choking, slow heart rate, sweating or feeling hot, you can drink twenty drops of valerian tincture.

In case of heart palpitations, it is allowed to take "Corvalol" (thirty drops) or "Valocordin".

The main thing during a panic attack during pregnancy is not to aggravate your condition. If possible, you need to be distracted and switch your attention to something more important than your own fears.

Conclusion

According to reviews, pregnancy with panic attacks is not a contraindication. With the right approach and desire, a woman has every chance to endure and give birth to a he althy baby. To prevent panic attacks during pregnancy, you need to follow the general recommendations of the doctor, follow the right diet, spend more time in the fresh air, give up bad habits and fully concentrate on your unborn child.