Colic during pregnancy: causes, symptoms, types of colic, gynecologist's advice, treatment and prevention

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

When a woman is pregnant, she directs all her thoughts and attention to her tummy and the future baby inside. Therefore, any discomfort can alert the expectant mother. It can be sipping, backache, aching pain and other unpleasant symptoms. In this article, we will figure out what colic during pregnancy may indicate, and consider how to deal with them.

What is colic?

Colic is localized in the abdomen. This is a pain attack, the cause of which can be pathological processes in the body. There are several types of them that have their own characteristic features. The very first thing that appears with colic is pain. Her personality may also vary. It can be stabbing, cramping, sharp, obsessive, disturbing, moderate. But in any case, it delivers a lot of discomfort, especially if colic occurs during pregnancy. In addition, they may occurunexpectedly or constantly observed.

Symptoms

Associated symptoms of colic during pregnancy can cause even more discomfort for a woman. Usually they include:

• sudden, cramping pain below the navel;
• bloating;
• flatulence;
• stomach churning;
• lack of appetite;
• nausea, vomiting;
• feeling of heaviness in the epigastric region;
• defaecation disorder (constipation or diarrhea);
• decrease in performance;
• increased fatigue, weakness, drowsiness;
• dizziness.

Colic can last from several hours to several days. Moreover, they can escalate or, conversely, recede. Perhaps a combination of pain with burning during urination and frequent urge to go to the toilet. This is due to the compression of internal organs. In addition, there may be an increase in blood pressure.

Varieties of colic during pregnancy

While carrying a baby, a woman's body undergoes a large number of changes. This can lead to new sensations that are not always pleasant. One of them is colic. During pregnancy, they are divided into types depending on the reasons that caused them. So there are:

• colic due to hormonal changes;
• colic during attachment of the embryo in the uterus;
• renal colic;
• hepatic colic;
• colic in the groin area andvagina;
• intestinal colic;
• colic due to growth and distension of the uterus.

In any case, regardless of the causes of colic, you need to see a doctor and get tested.

Hormonal colic

After conception has occurred, a woman's body begins to produce hormones that will support the normal course of pregnancy. Usually, colic against the background of hormonal changes occurs due to relaxation of the intestinal muscles. This is influenced by the hormone progesterone. It is produced in the body of a woman constantly. When a woman is not in a position, he regulates the flow of menstruation. With the onset of pregnancy, its functions change - now it is responsible for maintaining the pregnancy.

Colic during early pregnancy appears just because of the relaxation of the intestinal muscles under the action of progesterone. In addition, in this case, stagnation and constipation are very often observed.

Intestinal colic

The causes of this type of colic can be:

• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• eating poor quality food;
• use of foods that cause fermentation;
• unbalanced diet;
• overeating;
• bacterial infections;
• poisoning;
• parasitic diseases;
• intestinal obstruction.

It is important to know that intestinal colic during pregnancy is not an independent disease. This is just a symptom. But you should not ignore its presence, since in some cases for itremoval requires surgery.

The main symptoms that a woman experiences will be pain in the abdomen of a spasmodic nature, defecation disorders, nausea, bloating, general weakness of the body.

Renal and hepatic colic

Colic during pregnancy can be triggered by stones or sand in the ureter. In this case, we are talking about renal colic. Since during the period of bearing a child, the load on the urinary system increases, and immunity decreases, this can lead to the movement of stones or sand.

Symptoms of renal colic are as follows:

• lower back pain resembling contractions;
• pain in the abdomen along the ureter;
• nausea, vomiting;
• slight increase in body temperature;
• painful urination.

If you find these symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. He will prescribe you the appropriate tests, namely a urinalysis, a Nechiporenko test, a complete blood count, and an ultrasound of the kidneys. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then hospitalization will be necessary.

The nature of the treatment will depend on the severity of the condition and the size of the stones (blocking elements - stones, sand). Usually these are drugs that relieve spasms and inflammation, herbal preparations and drinking plenty of water. Only in extreme cases is surgery used.

Another place where stones can be found is the gallbladder. You may not even know that you have gallstones. But induring pregnancy, they can make themselves felt. The situation is identical to renal colic - with the onset of pregnancy, the load on the liver increases, the amount of bile produced increases, which sets the stones in motion. This process provokes hepatic colic. Her symptoms will be:

• pain on the right under the ribs, they are sharp and look like contractions, can cover the entire abdomen;
• pain can radiate to the back and along the bile duct;
• reflex vomiting that does not bring relief;
• tachycardia symptoms but no increase in blood pressure;
• pain tends to increase sharply, the duration of the attack is up to 6 hours, it disappears as spontaneously as it appears;
• may have yellowing of the skin and itching;
• urine looks like beer.

Hepatic colic can indicate serious diseases such as cholecystitis, cholangitis, etc. It can even cause death. Therefore, urgent hospitalization is required. Inpatient treatment involves the use of infusion antispasmodics.

Pelvic colic and vaginal colic

Colic in the lower abdomen during pregnancy may be symptoms of the following pathological conditions:

• hernia - weakening of muscle and connective tissue, and consequently, their swelling in the groin;
• infectious diseases - adnexitis, proctitis, endometritis, cystitis, with their development, there is an increase in lymph nodes in the groin area;
• osteochondrosis - degenerative processes in the spine;
• uterine hypertonicity - the uterus contracts chaotically, squeezing and pushing the fetus out; a woman may experience heaviness and pain in the lower abdomen; such sensations can provoke stress, overload, hormonal disruptions, high water, large fetus.

In such situations, sometimes you need to consult not only a gynecologist, but also more narrowly specialized doctors. These conditions can harm the fetus, even cause it to die.

During pregnancy, colic below, in particular in the vagina, can mean the following:

• implantation of the embryo into the uterine mucosa - this usually occurs on the 5-8th day of pregnancy and is accompanied by hormonal changes in the body; if the pain is weak and rare, then this is not a reason to worry;
• increased gas formation - some products can provoke; it is important to watch your diet;
• uterine hypertonicity - can occur at any time and accompany you throughout your pregnancy; if there is bleeding, even slight, this may mean a threatened miscarriage;
• approaching childbirth - for a period of 37 weeks, this may mean preparing the body for childbirth; it is necessary to inform the gynecologist about this.

Usually, colic in the second trimester of pregnancy does not bode well, especially if there are no accompanying symptoms. However, you should still report any changes in your condition to your doctor.

What can make the discomfort worse?

Beyond the real reasonsthe occurrence of colic, there are also situations when colic occurs suddenly and when they are eliminated, the pain disappears. So, aggravate pain can:

• decreased pain threshold of women;
• low or medium pelvis;
• undeveloped muscular system of a woman;
• late pregnancy, increasing fetal pressure on internal organs;
• the location of the fetus, its motor activity;
• tilting the body when the muscles are under additional stress.

Treatment

What to do with colic during pregnancy? How to get rid of them? Therapeutic methods to eliminate them can be the following activities:

• stool normalization;
• correction diet;
• changing the meal schedule;
• leading a he althy lifestyle;
• lifestyle adjustments.

Since women in position are not recommended drug therapy, in this case they try to resort to natural and harmless remedies to eliminate colic. For example, so that a woman does not suffer from constipation, it is recommended to eat prunes, dried apricots and drink fresh kefir. It is important to remember that kefir has a laxative effect only in the first 1-2 days, then it can, on the contrary, strengthen the stool. Also, to normalize the process of bowel movement, you can drink a glass of warm water on an empty stomach.

Also, an active lifestyle is a good way to fight against colic. If a woman spends a lot of time in a sitting or lying position, then, most likely,she will experience discomfort in the bowel area.

If a woman's condition has deteriorated significantly, then fennel tea will help to eliminate unpleasant symptoms for a short period of time. Also, a well-known remedy for colic is dill water. It is allowed to be used by the mother during pregnancy.

Features of food

Usually, to get rid of colic during pregnancy, it is enough to reconsider your lifestyle and diet. First of all, you need to eliminate from the diet foods that give a feeling of heaviness and are difficult to digest.

It is also necessary to remove everything fatty and fried from the menu. It is recommended to eat foods that have previously undergone heat treatment. The use of fiber is necessary for the normalization of the process of digestion and defecation. Water, kefir, fermented baked milk and curdled milk also help.

It is allowed to eat lean meats and fish. You also need to add cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables to the diet, but flour products need to be reduced.

Prevention

To prevent the development of unpleasant symptoms in the form of colic, it is recommended:

• monitor your diet - exclude products that increase gas formation, poor quality, those that have expired, as well as harmful products;
• have a proper rest, avoid stress and overload;
• regularly visit the gynecologist and tell him about all the changes in your body;
• clearly follow the doctor's recommendations;
• competently treat chronicdiseases of the urinary and digestive systems.

During pregnancy every feeling of a woman is important. Therefore, if you experience unpleasant symptoms, you should immediately go to the doctor, because in such a situation every minute can matter.