Edematous during pregnancy: causes, danger, treatment and prevention

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

According to statistics, about 80% of all women who are expecting a baby experience such an unpleasant symptom as swelling. Moreover, in most cases, swelling is considered as a natural physiological phenomenon, characteristic of the state of pregnancy and does not require special medical treatment. Despite this, doctors pay special attention to this condition. When and why are edema dangerous during pregnancy? How to deal with them and what are the reasons for this condition, we will consider in this article.

Reasons for appearance

To better understand the nature of the appearance of swelling of different parts of the body, as well as to understand why swelling during pregnancy is dangerous, consider the main reasons for their appearance. It is also important to note that not all women experience these symptoms.

Edema associated with the physiology of a pregnant woman

This disease affects most futuremothers in the last weeks of pregnancy. As a rule, puffiness is observed in the area of the hands and feet of a woman, and the manifestation of this condition occurs at the end of the day as a result of inactivity (for example, from long sitting or standing). As a rule, subsides after rest and is not observed in a relaxed state.

The accumulation of fluid in the body is considered a natural process, a kind of preparation for the upcoming woman's birth. Fluid reserves are needed to subsequently compensate for blood loss. Ideally, the fluid in the body of a pregnant woman should be evenly distributed over organs and tissues, which is facilitated by physical activity. However, during pregnancy, most women, especially in the later stages, lead a sedentary lifestyle. As a result of this regime, fluid accumulates in certain parts of the body and causes them to swell.

Swelling caused by pathologies

In certain categories of women, the appearance of an ailment is associated with a state of he alth. If a future mother is diagnosed with chronic diseases of the cardiovascular and urinary systems before conception, the risk of edema during pregnancy increases significantly.

During gestation, the heart muscle works in the mode of increased loads. With heart failure diagnosed in a woman, the heart can hardly cope with the function of fluid circulation, and additional loads in this pathology lead to the appearance of edema. As a result, fluid accumulates in some parts of the body.(legs or lower back).

Women with chronic kidney disease are usually under special supervision from the very beginning of pregnancy. They are prescribed special drugs that help remove excess fluid from the body and prevent the transition of a chronic disease into an exacerbation phase. Often, with such pathologies, swelling of the face during pregnancy is observed, which manifests itself in the form of bags under the eyes in the morning after waking up. Regular use of medicines helps to avoid the appearance of such a condition on other parts of the body.

Problems with blood vessels, in particular varicose veins, is a chronic disease that can become another cause of edema during pregnancy. Through the damaged walls of the vessels, the fluid penetrates into the tissues and accumulates in the intercellular space. Excessive accumulation of fluid in the body, in addition to damaged vessels, contributes to hormonal imbalance, as well as compression of the inferior vena cava due to an increase in the size of the uterus. With such pathologies, it is recommended to increase the duration of rest, lie mainly on the left side, and swim.

Edema as a manifestation of preeclampsia

Puffiness and high blood pressure are the main symptoms of toxicosis in the second half of pregnancy. The first manifestations of preeclampsia can be observed from the 22nd week of pregnancy. The appearance of such serious signs of late intoxication becomes the reason for close monitoring of the woman's condition, and in severe formspreeclampsia - a reason for emergency hospitalization.

Characteristic signs of late toxicosis are visually determined edema, as well as an increased protein content in the urine of a pregnant woman.

The mechanism for the formation of such a deviation during pregnancy is as follows:

1. Through the thin and damaged walls of the vascular system, fluid flows out of the vessels, which leads to an increase in blood viscosity.
2. Due to the thickening of the blood, its circulation through the blood vessels worsens. To increase the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, the placenta, by exerting a certain pressure on the vessels, contributes to their narrowing.
3. Reducing the cross section of the vessel really speeds up the circulation. However, due to an increase in the speed of blood movement through the vessels, their walls are subjected to increased pressure, which inevitably leads to damage to the circulatory system.
4. In places where the walls of blood vessels are damaged, platelets linger, resulting in the formation of a blood clot, and with a large number of problem areas - multiple blood clots.
5. As a result of impaired blood circulation, blood pressure rises, and excess fluid accumulation leads to edema during pregnancy.

Preeclampsia is also diagnosed by a blood test. Such a condition is characterized by an increase in the level of hemoglobin in the blood of a woman, which is not characteristic of the female body during the normal course of pregnancy.

Degrees of preeclampsia

Depending onfrom the severity of the manifestation of symptoms, several degrees are distinguished:

1. For the first degree of late toxicosis, in addition to swelling, an increase in the weight of a pregnant woman, poor he alth, manifested in increased fatigue and general weakness.
2. With the second degree of preeclampsia, in addition to the already existing symptoms, a pregnant woman has an uncontrolled increase in blood pressure, and a urine test shows an overestimated protein content.
3. The third degree is complicated by changes in the fundus and brain tissues of the expectant mother.
4. At the stage of the fourth degree, the complex of complications during pregnancy is supplemented by the appearance of convulsions. The last degree of gestosis poses a real threat to the life and he alth of the mother and child.

Diagnosis of latent edema

Puffiness during pregnancy may be latent and not have noticeable manifestations. It is expressed in the form of swelling of the internal organs and tissues of the body of a woman carrying a child. It is impossible to identify pathology on your own. Deviation from the norm can only be established by a gynecologist. Internal puffiness is diagnosed in the following ways:

1. Pregnancy weight control. Latent swelling is usually accompanied by significant weight gain (300 grams or more per week).
2. Measuring the outer diameter of the leg in the shin area. In the presence of internal edema during pregnancy, there is an increase in the circumference of the woman's lower leg by one centimeter per week (maybe a larger change in size).
3. Change in the volume of excreted from the bodywomen urine for the control period of time. Such a study involves establishing the ratio of the amount of fluid consumed to the amount of urine excreted from the body. Normally, three parts out of four should be the volume of excretion products. Any foods containing liquid are taken into account when determining fluid intake.

Swelling in different parts of the body

Swelling may indicate the presence of possible abnormalities in the he alth of a pregnant woman or be considered as a condition concomitant with gestation.

Depending on their location, more serious complications can be prevented during the gestation period.

Swelling in the lower extremities is the most common type of illness in the second half of pregnancy. The appearance of such a symptom in the later stages does not always pose a threat. More often, this condition indicates fatigue and inactivity during the day. As a rule, swelling during late pregnancy subsides after rest or relaxing baths.

If the symptoms do not subside even after a long rest, but, on the contrary, increase and spread to other parts of the body, such a signal from the body should be taken into account and urgently see a doctor.

Swelling of the fingers during pregnancy is often accompanied by pain, tingling and numbness. Such symptoms rarely indicate the presence of serious pathological conditions. Most often, swelling of the fingers withpregnancies indicate that the woman was in one position for a long time and was engaged in a monotonous business (for example, knitting or working at a computer). To eliminate symptoms and discomfort in the hands, rest the limbs. A little hand gymnastics, kneading stiff fingers helps a lot. Due to slight fluid retention in the body, swelling is often observed around jewelry that is tightly attached to the fingers and wrists. The accumulation of fluid in the body with the manifestation of edema in the area of \u200b\u200bthe hands can be caused by the use of undesirable foods by a pregnant woman, for example, drinks with gases, hot spices, too s alty foods.

Facial puffiness around the nose may indicate allergies or cold symptoms in a pregnant woman, while puffiness under the eyes may indicate chronic kidney disease.

In any case, the sudden onset of symptoms is a reason for an additional examination of the expectant mother.

How to identify swelling yourself?

Special examination required to diagnose latent symptoms. External manifestations are easily determined visually. To do this, it is enough to conduct simple tests for the presence of edema:

1. If, when pressed, you observe a dent on the surface of the skin that does not disappear for a long time, this is a clear sign of swelling of the limbs. In addition, with swelling, it becomes more difficult for a pregnant woman to wear shoes that used to fit.
2. Changing the circumference of the fingershands are visually identified by swelling around jewelry (for example, rings on a finger). Such a signal also indicates the presence of an ailment.
3. Changes in the face are visible to the naked eye. A woman can feel some types of edema. For example, swelling in the nasopharynx in the presence of allergic reactions of the body causes difficulty in swallowing.

As a rule, puffiness, not complicated by pathological conditions of the female body, manifests itself in the evening after daytime stress. Symptoms due to he alth problems do not subside even after a long rest.

Many women often wonder: "What to do with leg swelling during pregnancy?" According to experts, minor symptoms that appear in the area of \u200b\u200bthe limbs are considered quite normal if the swelling that appeared by the end of the day subsides without problems by morning. In this condition, it is not recommended to resort to cardinal methods to eliminate puffiness. For example, without special instructions from a doctor, reduce the daily volume of fluid intake, completely refuse to eat s alt. Swelling caused by fatigue, unlike the swelling that accompanies severe forms of gestosis, does not pose a danger to a pregnant woman and her child.

Prevention and treatment

There are many ways to relieve swelling during pregnancy. But it must be understood that this condition is not observed in every woman. The likelihood of this happening is related tophysiological characteristics of the organism of a single woman, a kind of predisposition to the appearance of symptoms. Based on this theory, it is not so difficult to prevent the occurrence of edema with the help of prevention tools and methods. How to deal with swelling during pregnancy? Instructions for expectant mothers:

1. Proper and he althy eating.
2. Exclusion of bad habits.
3. Active lifestyle.
4. Enough rest.
5. Maximum convenience and comfort when choosing clothes and shoes.
6. Must take prescription medications for chronic illnesses.
7. Systematic control and supervision of a specialist.

Prevention measures should be applied in combination and strictly observed throughout the entire period of pregnancy.

Despite the tendency of a pregnant woman's body to accumulate fluid in reserve, the daily diet should include a sufficient amount of water (at least one and a half liters per day). It is not recommended to completely abandon the use of s alt, but you should limit the consumption of highly s alted foods. Compliance with the main rules on how to deal with edema during pregnancy described above will help to avoid complications.

Judging by the reviews, traditional medicine in the fight against this disease is ineffective. But still, lingonberries help some from swelling during pregnancy. As a rule, the effect is seen by those women whose symptoms are not associated with he alth problems. Morse during pregnancy from edema can be prepared as follows:Pour boiling water over 80-100 g of mashed lingonberries, cool and let it brew. It is recommended to consume no more than 1-2 glasses per day. Tea has similar properties during pregnancy from edema. In any case, folk remedies should be used only with the permission and on the recommendation of a doctor after establishing the cause of the disease.

What to do with swelling of the legs during pregnancy? Wrapping them with cabbage leaves will help reduce swelling in the lower extremities. Such compresses can be done at night. Well relieve swelling during pregnancy in the later stages of relaxing water treatments.

If you have already been diagnosed with symptoms of late toxicosis, in no case try to cope with the disease yourself. Such a complication requires mandatory medical treatment under the guidance of an experienced specialist.

Special attention should be paid to the prevention of internal edema during pregnancy. This type of deviation is not diagnosed by eye, but proceeds in a latent form, which greatly complicates the process of identifying and treating symptoms.

Preeclampsia prevention

If you can control the appearance of edema during pregnancy on your own, then it is possible to establish the presence of late toxicosis only under the direct supervision of a doctor.

In order to recognize complications during pregnancy in time, a systematic monitoring of the following indicators by a gynecologist is required:

1. Change in the weight of a pregnant woman.
2. The presence of puffiness tolimb areas (mainly in the legs).
3. Protein and hemoglobin levels in urine and blood, respectively.
4. Presence of changes in a woman's blood pressure (increasing).

Conclusion

To prevent possible complications, it is important to constantly adhere to the recommended methods of how to relieve swelling during pregnancy, and apply preventive measures for such a condition during the gestation period: monitor the quantity and quality of food consumed, lead an active lifestyle, alternating with long rest, regularly visit a qualified gynecologist and take tests on time.