Hypotension during pregnancy: possible causes, symptoms, treatment, normal pressure during pregnancy, advice and recommendations from a gynecologist

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

What is hypotension during pregnancy? Is it a simple ailment or a severe pathology that requires immediate medical attention? That's what we're going to talk about today.

During the period of bearing a baby, every woman is faced with various ailments, because the body works "in three shifts", and gets tired in order. At this time, chronic diseases are exacerbated, and "sleeping" ailments are awakened, which could not have been suspected before pregnancy.

What is hypotension?

This is a decrease in blood pressure, which occurs against the background of a decrease in the rate of blood circulation in the body. Hypotension during pregnancy can be insignificant, and a woman often does not notice the disease at all, she feels completelyfine. But it happens that the pressure drops by more than 20 percent of the norm, and then all the symptoms appear, which we will talk about later.

It is quite difficult to talk about the norms of pressure during pregnancy, because even before pregnancy, the pressure of each woman is individual. For some, the norm is 120/80, for others 100/60 or 140/90. The norm of pressure for pregnant women is considered to be a mark that deviates from the norm of pressure before pregnancy by no more than ten up or down. That is, if the norm was 120/80, then a small deviation will be considered normal - 110/70 or 130/90.

Types of hypotension

There are two types of disease:

1. Primary hypotension is a hereditary predisposition. Also, the disease develops against the background of diseases of the cardiovascular system.
2. Secondary hypotension is an acquired disease that occurs as a result of other ailments.

The following diseases can be the cause of secondary hypotension:

• anemia;
• hepatitis;
• infections of various kinds;
• hypothyroidism;
• hypoglycemia;
• cirrhosis of the liver;
• Addison's disease.

Also, a significant decrease in pressure can be a side effect of medications or occur against the background of an overdose of certain drugs.

Symptoms of hypotension during pregnancy

Approximately twelve percent of women in an "interesting position" suffer from lowpressure. Hypotension during pregnancy in the 1st trimester is extremely rare. The disease can be detected in the first weeks of bearing a baby, but mostly the symptoms appear much later. Most often, hypotension occurs during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester - after the third month.

Symptoms indicating hypotension are:

• drowsy;
• loss of appetite;
• severe fatigue, fatigue;
• apathy, indifference;
• general weakness;
• absent-mindedness;
• decrease in attention;
• dizziness;
• fainting;
• arms and legs "freeze" and become wet - violation of thermoregulation;
• frequent headaches;
• meteorological dependence;
• sleep problems;
• pain in the region of the heart;
• irritant reaction to loud noises and bright lights;
• shortness of breath;
• vomiting and nausea;
• weakened pulse;
• pallor of the skin;
• varicose veins;
• joint pain.

Hypotension during early pregnancy is indicated by the presence of early toxicosis. If nausea begins from the first days of pregnancy, then in no case leave this symptom without the attention of a doctor, as this may be an earlier manifestation of hypotension.

None of the above signs of a disease dangerous for the mother and fetus can be attributed to mild malaise during pregnancy. If one or more symptoms appear, you should contact the gynecologist leading the pregnancy as soon as possible. The medical task will be completeexamination of the patient, the appointment of adequate treatment that will not harm the new life developing in the womb.

Causes of hypotension in pregnant women

Hypotension during pregnancy develops against the background of a sharp jump in hormones in a woman's body. Progesterone relaxes all the muscles of the organs, including the vascular, which leads to a slowdown in blood flow. The same effect is on the uterus, and it does not allow it to contract, preventing premature birth, keeping the baby. If the pregnancy proceeds normally, then soon the condition itself will begin to improve. If there were jumps in pressure before pregnancy, then the condition may worsen.

Hypotension during pregnancy can develop for other reasons. A decrease in pressure is affected by a malfunction of the adrenal glands. It is the kidneys during pregnancy that suffer more than all other organs, working for two.

Also, hypotension occurs due to the appearance of another circulatory system - placental.

Guilt for the appearance of hypotension may be on the pregnant woman herself. Pressure drops often occur at:

• starvation - a woman eats improperly, or specifically does not eat too much, so as not to gain much weight during the period of bearing a child;
• lack of adequate rest;
• excessive physical or mental stress;
• stress;
• nervous excitement;
• bad habits (for example, smoking causes oxygen starvation, which causes lowpressure);
• taking hot baths.

Why is hypotension dangerous for a pregnant woman and fetus?

The blood flow slows down, which leads to oxygen starvation not only of the woman's organs, but also of the fetus, because the placental blood flow also slows down. The body of both the woman and the baby ceases to receive the necessary amount of substances necessary for life, which leads to disruption of the work of all organs, and the baby also slows down development. What else is fraught with hypotension during pregnancy?

1. One of the most unpleasant moments for all pregnant women is toxicosis. Someone does not have it at all, while others suffer from it from the first days of pregnancy. And the reason for this is often hypotension, which leads to early toxicosis.
2. Due to oxygen starvation, the fetus may die in utero.
3. Early preterm birth or miscarriage.
4. Development of fetal hypoxia syndrome in utero.
5. Hypotonic dysfunction of the uterus during childbirth.

It should be understood that consistently low blood pressure is hypotension, this is not a joke at all and not a slight ailment during pregnancy. This is a dangerous pathology that endangers the he alth of a woman and the life of an unborn baby. At the first symptoms of hypotension, you should consult a doctor.

To minimize the likelihood of the appearance and development of hypotension, you need to visit your doctor consistently, on schedule, strictly follow all recommendations and treatments.

Which specialists should I see for hypotension?

In casepredisposition to hypotension or at the first symptoms of pathology, pregnant women need to be examined by highly specialized specialists, these are:

• neurologist;
• cardiologist;
• endocrinologist;
• therapist;
• ophthalmologist.

Diagnosis

It is not uncommon for a woman to be misdiagnosed. The reason for this may be an incorrect measurement of blood pressure. For example, the patient was lying down during the measurement, or the cuff on the tonometer was poorly inflated. All these nuances affect the measurement accuracy. That is why, if hypotension is suspected, a larger examination is prescribed:

1. Checking the work of the kidneys is carried out by ultrasound.
2. You need to do an ultrasound of the heart, this procedure is called echocardiography.
3. ECG.
4. Detection of pathological processes in the brain - electroencephalogram.
5. Differential study.
6. Checking for changes in the fundus - for this you need to go to an ophthalmologist.

Treatment of hypotension during pregnancy

The most important thing when making a diagnosis is not to panic, because hypotension is not a sentence, but a common pathology that needs to be eliminated. Treatment can only be homeopathic, that is, based on the intake of infusions, teas and decoctions of medicinal herbs. This method is applicable for mild hypotension.

To treat severe hypotension in pregnant women, complex therapy is used, only useful ones will not help here.weed, medication will be required.

In the case of secondary hypotension, that is, that which arose due to another disease, first of all, treatment should be aimed at eliminating the cause.

In no case should you engage in self-treatment, because you can only harm yourself and the baby. Not only many medications are contraindicated for pregnant women, but also herbs, so you can’t take any decoctions without talking with your doctor.

What will help pregnant women increase their blood pressure?

For hypotension pregnant women are advised to:

1. Use rosemary, bay and basil essential oils in your room.
2. Attend prescribed physical therapy.
3. Take tonics - the doctor may prescribe "Pantocrine", ginseng infusions, eleutherococcus extract, Schisandra chinensis infusion.
4. Don't give up herbal medicine. Infusions of useful herbs will help pregnant women to safely increase their blood pressure - leaves of wild strawberry, currant, raspberry and mint, St. John's wort, sage, yarrow and others.

The article contains examples of herbs and medicines for reference only. The intake of any drugs, both medicinal and herbal, must be agreed with the attending physician and carried out under his own control.

Prevention of hypotension

Severe hypotension during pregnancy not only torments a woman, but also threatens premature birth - the loss of a baby. To improve the condition or at allto prevent the development of pathology, a pregnant woman is recommended:

• eat well, preferably by the hour;
• sleep at least 9 hours at night, rest several times for 30 minutes during the day;
• do not physically overload;
• walk at a slow pace for at least an hour, preferably in a park area where there are no cars;
• eliminate causes of stress;
• at least for the duration of pregnancy give up smoking and other bad habits;
• avoid stuffy rooms, long stays outside in hot weather;
• give up bathing in favor of showering.

These simple rules will help to significantly improve the condition of hypotension. If you observe those from the first days of pregnancy, then a dangerous pathology may not develop at all, even with a hereditary predisposition.