Heart hurts during pregnancy: causes, treatment and drugs allowed for pregnant women

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-01 17:06

In the body of a pregnant woman, cardinal changes begin to occur from the moment of conception. The hormonal background changes, as well as the internal organs begin to work in a different mode. The main organ, thanks to which blood circulation is ensured, is no exception and is also at risk. Often the heart hurts during pregnancy, or it gives other signs: it aches, pulls, pricks. But in most cases, future mothers are not able to describe their condition: there is something bad, but it is not clear what it is.

Influence of external factors

Because of their “special status”, which is what some women call pregnancy, their body becomes susceptible to many environmental influences.

Sometimes some of these factors provoke pain inheart, and these may include:

• A sharp change in weather conditions.
• Staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time.
• The effect of stress.
• Overwork.
• Loud extraneous sounds (music, screaming, street noise).
• Staying in a poorly ventilated area or in crowded places.

Often these factors lead to heart pain. In this case, it is enough to eliminate the provoking cause, and the symptoms will begin to decrease. That is, if heart problems are caused by stuffiness in the room, you should open the vents, and preferably windows, and ventilate the room. The influx of fresh air will have a positive effect on the condition of a pregnant woman.

Internal Causes

However, when the heart hurts during pregnancy, there are reasons for this, which are not related to the external environment and are due to purely internal problems of the body. As a rule, they are persistent and bright. In this case, timely consultation with a specialist is necessary. Let's analyze several cases when pain in the heart provokes some pathological condition of the body.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

And we are talking about those diseases that were diagnosed even before the moment of conception. Among the options are arterial hypertension, heart defects (acquired or congenital), coronary heart disease, various kinds of cardiomyopathy. As it is now known, the heart of a future mother is subjected to enormous loads, and if there is anydiseases the pathological condition is aggravated.

Those diseases that are in the chronic stage are an extremely serious pathological condition. In this case, a woman who carries a child under her heart should be under vigilant medical supervision. She also received supportive care. And when the heart hurts during pregnancy, all this is a must.

Anemia or anemia

The most common disease among pregnant women is iron deficiency anemia. This is due primarily to the fact that a new life develops in the womb, and iron is also necessary for her. Therefore, there is a high demand for this element. And the usual diet is often not enough to make up for the losses.

In this case, the appearance of characteristic features cannot be avoided:

• pallor;
• dizziness attacks;
• weakness;
• heartaches.

Diagnosing this type of pathological condition is easy. To do this, it is enough to pass a general blood test, which will show the amount of hemoglobin. Treatment consists of adjusting the diet, as well as the need to take iron supplements.

Why does the heart hurt during pregnancy, or the manifestation of toxicosis

In some cases, cardiac pain is characterized by a persistent increasing character, and against the background of increased blood pressure, swelling and headaches. In the presence of such signs, it is necessary to urgentlygo to the doctor. After all, all these symptoms indicate developing toxicosis, which tends to progress without proper medical care.

It should be taken into account that such a pathologically complex condition negatively affects not only the mother's body, the child also suffers.

Complex diagnostics should be carried out, and if necessary, adequate therapy should be prescribed. At the same time, without fail, a woman must be under vigilant supervision by medical specialists. In addition, it is also impossible to do without clinical and laboratory control.

Pain on the left side

And why does it hurt under the heart on the left during pregnancy? The manifestation of any symptom usually indicates a problem in relation to any internal organ or even the entire system. In the presence of such signs, a pregnant woman should definitely visit a doctor in order to perform a diagnosis that will determine the cause of the pain. Based on this, the necessary therapy will be prescribed.

As a rule, this is due to some diseases, among which the following can be distinguished:

• pleurisy;
• intercostal neuralgia;
• heart disease;
• osteochondrosis;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• hernia;
• pneumonia;
• bronchial asthma;
• colds.

During pregnancy, the body produces the hormone relaxin, which affects all internal organsspecial effect - they soften so that the uterus is freely located. In addition, the genital organ can put pressure on the ribs, and for this reason, during pregnancy, it hurts under the heart on the left side.

In addition, the expectant mother's body weight increases, which in turn increases the load on the spine. Sometimes the center of gravity shifts, due to which its uneven distribution occurs. In this case, the pain is also localized on the left side of the chest.

He althy heart of a pregnant woman

Pain in the region of the heart is not always pathological and, as a rule, the cause of this phenomenon lies in physiology. Pain may appear not because there is any disease, but due to internal changes in the body.

What exactly could be causing this? It's all about this:

• Increased blood volume.
• Lower blood pressure.
• Influence of the reproductive organ.

There is 22-25% more blood in the body of a pregnant woman. Moreover, it becomes more fluid, which leads to an increase in the load on the myocardium and blood vessels. In other words, the heart now has to work with a vengeance to pump all this increased plasma volume. Vessels also have a hard time, because they need to contain all this amount.

As for blood pressure, because of its fluctuations, it also hurts in the heart during pregnancy. This is mainly due to the fact that the value begins to decrease with the arrival of the second trimester by 10-15 mm. rt. Art., which is due to the impactplacental hormones. At the same time, the frequency of contractions of the heart muscles increases by 15-20 beats per minute. It also happens because the female reproductive organ puts pressure on the inferior vena cava, which leads to a decrease in venous blood flow to the heart and a drop in blood pressure. In this regard, often pregnant women suffer from tachycardia (rapid heartbeat).

Since the uterus increases in size over time, this leads to a displacement of a number of internal organs upwards. The mobility of the diaphragm is limited, and it rises. As a result, the heart literally takes a supine position. In this case, a physiological murmur can be heard at the apex or pulmonary artery.

A reason to seek medical help

As we have now found out, if the heart hurts during pregnancy, this can endanger not only the body of the pregnant woman, but also the he alth of the child. When should you immediately go to the doctor? This should be done for the following symptoms:

• Increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
• Swelling of the lower extremities and the whole body.
• Having headaches.
• Fasco, dizziness.
• Blurring in the eyes against the background of flies flickering.
• Nausea, vomiting, stool changes.

A pregnant woman should be doubly serious about her he alth during the period of gestation, because she now has a doublea responsibility. The presence of at least one of these signs against the background of heart pain should be alarming. You should not hesitate to go to the doctor, who will prescribe a comprehensive examination, as well as select the necessary course of treatment.

How do heart problems affect a child?

Why can the heart hurt during early pregnancy? Under normal conditions, oxygen-enriched plasma bypasses the placental barrier and enters the circulatory system of the embryo through the umbilical vein. During the period of intrauterine development of the fetus, its pulmonary circulation is not yet able to function, since the lungs do not work. Therefore, the main source of oxygen for the child is only the mother's body.

Now we can draw a simple conclusion - any dysfunction of the circulatory system of a pregnant woman leads to a violation of the supply of oxygen to the fetus. In this case, events can occur in one of two main ways.

Option 1

Lack of oxygen may be due to anemia in the female body. In other words, anemia is implied when hemoglobin is clearly not enough to transport the required amount of O_{2. The lack of this element noticeably affects both the mother and the child, and the consequences for the baby can be the most severe.}

Option 2

Impaired oxygen transport (resulting in heart pain during early pregnancy) is sometimes associated withits dysfunction. This may be due to arterial hypertension, cardiomyopathy and other manifestations. Although the causes may be different, the mechanism is the same - cardiac output decreases, blood volume decreases, therefore, less plasma reaches the fetus (the same goes for oxygen).

How important is O2?

The role of oxygen is difficult to underestimate - it is necessary to maintain the vital activity of every cell in the human body. And in relation to the developing life in the womb, its value increases hundreds of times, if not more!

Lack of oxygen leads to various consequences and sometimes very serious. We can talk about intrauterine hypoxia or the formation of various developmental anomalies. Even the death of the fetus is not ruled out.

However, you should not worry too much, because timely medical care, especially in modern conditions, when medicine has reached perfection, will help to avoid undesirable consequences. With adequate treatment, the baby will be born he althy and unharmed.

Heart hurts during pregnancy - what to do?

Every woman should take pregnancy seriously, because this is the most crucial period in her life. And when heart pain occurs, it is highly recommended not to self-medicate in order to avoid more serious he alth problems.

What can be done? First of all, it is worth understanding that taking any drugs without the approval of a doctor is categoricallyprohibited! Therefore, it is preferable to do the following:

• Unbutton the top buttons of outerwear and bra.
• Straighten your back, take a deep breath, then exhale. Repeat as needed.
• Open window.
• Lie down or take any comfortable position and relax.

If the pain is strong and paroxysmal, you should immediately call an ambulance, and before that, ensure yourself complete peace by providing access to fresh air. Since many drugs are contraindicated for pregnant women, when the heart hurts during pregnancy, what you can drink is decided only by the doctor and only after a complete examination of the patient. Usually such means as "Riboxin", "ATF-Long", "Kratal", "Panangin", valerian extract appear. At the same time, increased caution is observed.

Diuretic drugs ("Hypothiazide") will help to cope with puffiness. Cardiac glycosides, beta-blockers ("Metoprolol") can be prescribed for tachycardia. In case of high blood pressure, Dopegyt (250 mg) will be useful.

Prevention measures

During pregnancy, every woman should follow simple rules in order to prevent problems with the heart and other internal organs. In this case, such a problem, when the heart hurts during pregnancy, will worry less often, if not at all. Actually, the recommendations themselves:

• Spend as much of your time outdoors as possible, and walking is recommendedon foot.
• Ventilate the room regularly.
• Alcohol and tobacco products are strictly prohibited!
• Wear a special bandage for later pregnancy.
• Give yourself proper rest and sleep for at least 8 hours.
• Take only comfortable positions, and sit only with a straight back.
• Avoid stress, experience less nervous shocks.
• Consume 1.5-2 liters of water daily.
• Watch your weight and avoid obesity.
• Keep a balanced diet, including raw vegetables, walnuts, apples, linseed or olive oil.

Besides this, it does not hurt to do simple physical exercises, you can even go swimming. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the heart will not only hurt during pregnancy, but other problems may arise.

In addition, all the doctor's recommendations should be followed, even if they seem insignificant to a woman. It is better for a specialist to know what will benefit the expectant mother and her child.