Liver hurts during pregnancy: causes, diagnosis and treatment

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

It's no secret that a woman's body undergoes many changes during pregnancy. Often, pain occurs in those places and organs that did not disturb the expectant mother before.

One of the most important organs of the body is the liver. During the period of gestation, it is she who is responsible for cleansing the body of the mother and baby, which means that the load on her doubles. Therefore, women may note that their liver hurts during pregnancy. Consider what needs to be done in such a situation, what treatment to carry out, what tests to take.

Features

Liver problems can make pregnancy worse by causing unwanted complications. Sometimes it happens that the function of this organ is slightly disturbed, and after the birth of a child, its functioning is restored.

If there is chronic liver disease in the history of the disease, then the entire pregnancy will have to be under the strict supervision of a specialist.

Physiological causes of pain

As already mentioned, a woman's body undergoes manychanges, certain types of metabolism (fat, protein, carbohydrate) are disturbed, which leads to an increase in the load on the liver. As a result, all this causes pain.

In late pregnancy, the baby usually moves a lot in the stomach. It purely by chance can touch the liver, thereby causing aching pain in the right side. Some women may complain of nausea, heartburn, lack of appetite.

As the baby grows, so does the uterus, which can put pressure on the liver. Some expectant mothers have biliary dyskinesia. As a result, the output of bile and the work of the bile ducts as a whole are disrupted. But this does not have a negative effect on the fetus. After the birth of a child, the functioning of the gallbladder is restored.

Improper nutrition and disruption of the digestive system can also be one of the causes of pain. During the period of bearing a baby, women are not always picky about the food they eat in large quantities, which is detrimental to the liver.

With a normal pregnancy, the blood supply to the liver and its size practically do not change. But all these criteria are controlled by the lead doctor.

Pathological causes

Problem can be a sign of chronic disease. During pregnancy, an exacerbation of gallstone disease (stones in the gallbladder and its ducts) is sometimes observed, which causes colic. Changes in the hormonal background can also cause the formation of stones. The pain is very sharp.

Another reason is intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Most often, this pathology is observed in the third trimester. Due to the increase in the level of sex hormones, the formation of bile increases, and its secretion is inhibited.

This disease is accompanied during pregnancy by nausea, bitterness in the mouth, itching of the skin, pain in the right hypochondrium. Many women experience vomiting. Itching begins with the limbs, feet, and then spreads to the entire body. It also darkens urine and lightens feces. After giving birth, everything returns to normal.

Another symptom of liver problems is yellowness of the skin and sclera. This symptom may indicate hepatitis. During pregnancy, an analysis for the presence of viruses of this disease is mandatory. While the baby is in the belly, infection will not occur, but it is possible during childbirth, although the probability is low.

Indomitable vomiting may be a signal for an increase in bilirubin due to liver dysfunction. Also, heart failure can be the cause, as blood is poorly pumped and accumulates in the liver and lungs. Some old injuries can also cause pain in the liver.

Hepatitis

These diseases are of infectious and non-infectious nature. With hepatitis, the nutrition of the organ is disrupted, its cells are destroyed.

There are seven types of hepatitis, denoted by Latin letters. The most dangerous in terms of virulence are A and E, since these viruses can be infected not only from a patient or virus carrier, but also by the fecal-oral route. itmeans that germs can enter the body of a pregnant woman with unwashed food, dirty hands, untreated water.

Other types of hepatitis occur only through contact with a patient, blood transfusion, any manipulation of a poorly processed instrument (for example, during a visit to the dentist).

Hepatitis C is considered a very dangerous disease, because if left untreated it can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. If infection occurs during pregnancy, it can cause intrauterine fetal death or death of the baby a few days after birth.

All types of hepatitis adversely affect the development of the fetus, lead to impaired blood circulation and blood clotting, which leads to serious consequences. If such a disease is diagnosed in a pregnant woman, then the child is vaccinated immediately after birth. In 95% of cases, the disease in infants does not develop.

Diagnosis

According to statistics, 2-3% of pregnant women suffer from hepatocholecystitis, hepatitis or gallstone disease. Only with proper diagnosis and therapy, the bearing of the baby will end with normal physiological childbirth. Therefore, if you experience unpleasant symptoms, you should immediately consult a gynecologist.

Doctors refer the patient to a general clinical blood test to check the level of red blood cells, hemoglobin, white blood cell count. These indicators help to detect inflammatory diseases in the body.

Next, biochemical analysis is carried outblood:

• ALT and AST are indicators of liver he alth. Normally, they are equal to 31 U / l. If there are unpleasant sensations in the liver area, poor tests during pregnancy - this is the ALT and AST index above 31 U / l. Such a result indicates violations in the work of the body.
• Bilirubin total. Norm 5 - 21 µmol / l. If the numbers in the analysis are higher than normal, then this may indicate liver damage or jaundice.
• Bilirubin direct. Norm 0 - 7.9 µmol / l. The value may increase with jaundice during pregnancy, bile stasis, liver damage.

The markers of viral hepatitis B and C are also determined. Usually, a hepatitis B test is done at the beginning of pregnancy, but if a woman visited a nail salon, a dentist, underwent injection treatment, then the analysis must be repeated.

Also, with pain in the liver, it is prescribed to undergo an ultrasound of the liver during pregnancy. This study helps to detect inflammatory processes in the organ, determine its size, check the condition of the gallbladder and ducts.

To diagnose gallbladder dyskinesia, its size is checked before and after a special breakfast, which usually consists of 2 raw egg yolks. Using this method, you can confirm or deny the presence of stones in the gallbladder and the absence of inflammatory diseases. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnant women is difficult to establish. Usually, this conclusion is reached after other possible complications have been ruled out.

If a woman is worried about itching (the very first symptom of cholestasis), shegoing to a dermatologist. The doctor prescribes the necessary tests, including a liver test and the determination of bile acids. The results of these tests may be negative. To clarify the picture, they can be reappointed. If this time no abnormalities are found, a diagnosis of cholestasis of pregnancy is made. When performing a liver test, an increase in the level of direct bilirubin, triglycerides and globulins can be a marker of cholestasis.

Therapy Methods

Treatment of the liver during pregnancy is prescribed by a doctor. It directly depends on the pathology that causes discomfort.

Treatment of biliary dyskinesia

The goal of therapy is to normalize the outflow of bile to avoid its stagnation. One of the most important things is proper nutrition.

Food should be taken in small portions, 5-6 times a day. Foods that promote the outflow of bile should be introduced into the diet.

This includes meat or fish broths, eggs, sour cream, cream, butter and vegetable oil. Useful cottage cheese, rosehip broth, cod, bran, cabbage, carrots. In general, a diet rich in plant fiber and magnesium is essential.

The second step is the use of choleretic drugs. Most often, fees or teas are prescribed. The choleretic collection includes immortelle flowers, yarrow grass and coriander fruits. If it is tea, then the composition may contain tansy, corn stigmas, rose hips.

In the second half of pregnancy, with the development of edema, it is convenient to use "Flamin", which is a dry concentrate of immortelle flowers. Take 1-2 tablets fromliver during pregnancy 3 times a day for half an hour before meals. Also a good drug is Holosas, which is taken one teaspoon 3 times a day.

Hepatitis treatment

During pregnancy, this disease is not treated. To maintain he alth, the expectant mother must follow a diet and daily routine.

Usually, therapy is postponed for the period after childbirth, because the child cannot become infected in utero. Therefore, immediately after the birth of the baby, the necessary course of therapy is prescribed.

Treatment of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

In the presence of this disease, it is necessary to strictly monitor what kind of food a pregnant woman eats. Fatty foods, smoked meats and pickles should be excluded from the diet. Drinking more fluids is also recommended. In addition, vitamin K is prescribed to prevent postpartum hemorrhage.

One of the symptoms of this disease is itching. You can't completely get rid of it, but you can reduce it. To do this, apply lotion "Calamine" or baby creams with calendula. Light clothing should be worn, made of cotton. This will help prevent itching.

Drug therapy and treatment with liver pills should be supported by diet. The diet should be a lot of protein food, vitamins. After giving birth, women who have had this disease are registered in the antenatal clinic.

Foods to eat

The list of products for the liver is varied. Be sure to eat more vegetables, cereals, drink vegetable juices. For example,carrot prevents the development of fatty liver.

Foods rich in cholesterol should be avoided. It is better to include vegetable fats (nuts or sunflower seeds) in the diet. From animals, butter or ghee is suitable.

Conclusion

If you have pain in the liver, you should definitely consult a doctor. If you need to undergo a course of treatment, it is not recommended to refuse it.

You should always remember that a timely appeal to a specialist will help to avoid undesirable consequences. Pain in the liver cannot be ignored. It is also very dangerous for both mother and unborn child to self-medicate.