Every woman who was fortunate enough to become a mother is well aware of all the features of the course of pregnancy, where constant monitoring by doctors plays an important role: regular examinations, including ultrasound, weighing, tests, and a number of other necessary procedures. Some representatives of the fair sex consider such excessive custody an interference with their personal lives. However, in fact, this allows timely detection of various diseases, among which gestosis is listed. Therefore, pregnant women simply cannot do without such “guardianship”, since it is vital.
Many mothers may be interested in why you need to get on the scales each time during a routine inspection? The fact is that an increase in extra pounds indicates swelling, which, in turn, may indicate the development of gestosis (toxicosis). What is this pathology and is it dangerous for the mother and her child?
General information about the disease
A disease such as gestosis can be considered a kind of side effect of pregnancy, it is observed in many women who are in an interesting position. And as practice shows, this is 30%. Fortunately, after the birth of a baby, the pathology disappears.
Does everyone know how many kilograms the weight of a pregnant woman increases? Knowledgeable people will immediately say - at 10, and they will be right. But the extra 20-25 kg should already be alerted, because it just indicates the presence of edema, which may be hidden. Only now, edema alone does not end there.
The presence of signs of gestosis in pregnant women indicates a violation of the vital functions of the female body and can sometimes lead to very different consequences against the background of seizures or seizures. Is it worth mentioning that expectant mothers should in no case be self-medicating ?! Otherwise, you can harm not only yourself, but also the child.
Hidden threat
Gestosis is a serious disease that can lead to maternal mortality. And this pathology to everything else for quite a long time does not make itself felt, what is its danger. For this reason, every pregnant woman is weighed during a routine examination to identify excess weight.
During the development of the baby, maternal placenta produces substances that damage the blood vessels. Because of this, plasma protein enters the muscle tissue, which, in fact, causes edema.
And this is already overweight. And the more puffiness develops, the more difficult it is for the female body, due to constant loss of fluid, to pump blood through the vascular system for normal circulation. For this reason, blood pressure rises.
Ultimately, gestosis in pregnant women leads to a deterioration in the general condition, the supply of oxygen to the body of the mother and child decreases, which can provoke convulsions. But sometimes more serious consequences arise:
- detachment of the placenta, retina;
- heart failure;
- heart attack;
- pulmonary edema;
- stroke.
Due to the hidden course, the disease manifests itself by the 34-35th week of pregnancy, that is, the beginning of the third trimester. But in some cases, signs of gestosis can be detected already in the 20th week. Therefore, doctors are constantly monitoring future mothers in order to keep their health under control.
Forms of manifestation of pathology
There are two forms of gestosis: early and late. Moreover, in the latter case, there is a serious threat - both for the woman herself and for her child. For this reason, when this disease is detected in a serious form, experts recommend resorting to a cesarean section or cause premature birth.
Moreover, if the disease is detected at the 20th week of pregnancy, then this can be considered early gestosis in pregnant women. However, pathology can occur in mothers at the 28th week - this is already a severe form. More details about all this below.
Features of early gestosis
Nausea, vomiting and other symptoms are observed in almost all pregnant women, and for this reason such phenomena are already considered the norm. In reality, this is not so. The process of bearing a child in itself is a normal state of a woman’s body, and any ailments should not bother her.
Therefore, if the expectant mother feels a change in well-being, it is best to immediately consult a doctor for advice. This will clarify and identify the threat. For early gestosis, three stages of manifestation are characteristic:
- Mild - nausea and vomiting come up no more than 5 times a day.
- Medium - symptoms appear a little more often, but no more than 10 times a day.
- Severe - here we are talking about 20 manifestations per day.
In the case when early gestosis in pregnant women manifests itself too brightly, doctors prescribe appropriate treatment. What is characteristic of how early toxicosis proceeds is not yet known by doctors. But experts are of some opinion: this is a kind of pathological reaction of a woman to pregnancy. Here, several mechanisms can be distinguished at once: immune, allergic, toxic, reflex and neurogenic.
Late gestosis
The late form of toxicosis is considered the most dangerous due to complications. The exact reasons for its development by scientists are also not yet determined. According to one version, gestosis occurs due to the immunological incompatibility of the female body and fetus. Other experts are of a different opinion. According to their version, hormonal restructuring and other processes are to blame. In addition, cases of late gestosis have recently become more common.
As most obstetricians note, the number of late births has increased. As a rule, if a woman gives birth at the age of 35, then she already has any diseases in the chronic form, which during pregnancy become aggravated. As a result, the entire process of bearing a child does not go so smoothly.
Late gestosis of pregnant women has several stages:
- Dropsy.
- Nephropathy
- Preeclampsia
- Eclampsia.
We will analyze these manifestations in more detail.
Dropsy
Refers to the very first stage, its characteristic signs are the appearance of edema on the face, body, limbs. Often they can be hidden, but weight gain should already be alarming. Nevertheless, there are some first signs that indicate the appearance of edema. This is numbness of the extremities and fingers, they become naughty: they are difficult to bend and unbend, it is almost impossible to wear any jewelry like rings. At the same time, the cause of edema may be different - a chronic disease of the kidneys or heart.
To verify the diagnosis, a McClure - Aldrich test is performed. To do this, a small amount of saline is injected under the skin, and by the degree of its resorption, doctors can judge whether there is swelling.
A sign of open edema is 3 liters in a woman's body, or even more. The accumulation of fluid begins with the feet, then the legs, thighs swell, the stomach begins to swell and at the end the head. If signs of puffiness are found, you should immediately seek medical help.
Nephropathy
Against the background of edema, the second stage of late gestosis in pregnant women can occur, and another pathology is added to them, which is expressed in violation of the kidneys. A characteristic sign is high blood pressure. And this, in turn, leads to other unpleasant complications. There are sudden bleeding and placental abruption, which sometimes leads to fetal death.
Although the complication is localized in the kidneys, there is no serious harm from this. Usually, after the birth of a child, a woman soon forgets about such an ailment. But if you do not start treatment in a timely manner, it threatens with more complex and serious consequences, since the pathology passes into another form.
Preeclampsia
This is the third stage of gestosis, in which the pressure is 160 to 110. As a result, a number of the following characteristic signs can be observed:
- Strong headache;
- flies in the eyes;
- vomiting
- nausea;
- mental disorder;
- memory impairment.
It is not difficult to detect this type of complication, since it is during this period that the plasma protein penetrates the urine. To identify this condition, it is enough to pass the appropriate analysis.
Eclampsia
It is the most severe and dangerous form of gestosis in pregnant women, which can manifest itself in different ways:
- cramps
- heart attack;
- a stroke;
- pulmonary edema;
- renal failure.
Regarding seizures, they can be strong and pulling, or they may not flow so intensely. Moreover, they come in seizures for several minutes, but they can end with a temporary loss of consciousness. In some cases, a woman may fall into a coma, bypassing the stage of seizures.
What is the danger of pathology?
Preeclampsia poses a threat to the mother and child, primarily because of the complications that it causes. Through his fault, internal organs begin to suffer, and often it is the liver, kidneys, lungs, and even the heart. Especially dangerous are cases when blood circulation is disturbed and blood pressure rises.
One of the most serious complications in the presence of gestosis symptoms in pregnant women is yellow acute liver atrophy, which can lead to death. Fortunately, such cases are quite rare. Usually, when the toxicosis is favorable, the symptoms that appear disappear in the 12th week of pregnancy. Otherwise, one can judge the presence of pathology.
Due to blockage of blood vessels, hemorrhage occurs, cerebral edema can provoke interruptions in the work of many body systems. Because of this, there is a risk of a coma. In addition, constant vomiting leads to dehydration of the woman's body. And due to a lack of fluid in the fetus, asphyxiation occurs or the placenta begins to exfoliate.
According to statistics, it is precisely due to mild or moderate gestosis that every 10th pregnancy ends prematurely. With a severe form of pathology, the probability of such an outcome increases to 20%, and with eclampsia it is even worse - every third pregnancy is terminated.
In any case, early and late gestosis in pregnant women does not affect the baby in the best way. Those children who were born to mothers with the last stage of preeclampsia, grew up painful and immunocompromised. In addition, a delay in development was clearly expressed.
The woman herself is also very much at risk, because we are talking about her life. Therefore, many doctors insist on surgery if necessary, as this is the only way to save the baby and his mother.
Disease treatment
If the disease is mild, then treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis. With mild or moderate puffiness in a pregnant woman, therapy takes place in the pathology department. If the swelling is more pronounced and there are signs of preeclampsia, then the expectant mother is sent to the intensive care unit. Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely cure the pathology. The only way out is to constantly monitor its course, preventing the appearance of serious complications.
Therefore, the whole essence of the so-called treatment of gestosis in pregnant women is reduced to restoring the normal state of the female body. And only the doctor has the right to prescribe certain drugs, so a woman who nevertheless decides to do without medical care runs the risk of aggravating her condition.
As a rule, pregnant women with gestosis are prescribed infusion therapy with droppers. This allows you to make up for fluid loss in the body, as well as eliminate a number of symptoms. In addition, other measures apply. In particular, we are talking about removing fluid that has accumulated in tissues, replenishing protein reserves and lowering pressure.
As for medicines, sedatives like valerian, motherwort are usually prescribed. With eclampsia, you need to take more powerful sedative medications. In addition, a woman will be prescribed a course of taking drugs that will prevent the development of placental insufficiency.
Necessary measures
As mentioned above, the causes of gestosis in pregnant women have not yet been clearly determined. Therefore, treatment in the usual sense as such does not exist. But at the same time, if preeclampsia does not progress and can be controlled, there is no need to stimulate labor (at the very least). The entire treatment regimen is developed in a strictly individual order, since many factors must be taken into account:
- the severity of the disease;
- the presence of concomitant diseases;
- the condition of the fetus.
If a mild degree is detected, therapy begins immediately. The reason for making emergency decisions are those cases when there are no improvements for a certain time:
- 7-10 days with moderate severity.
- From 1 to 3 days with a severe form of the disease.
- For three hours with preeclampsia.
In this case, no diet for gestosis of pregnant women will help, the very last measure is needed - premature delivery. Moreover, the method is selected depending on the condition of the mother and child. If the situation allows, then the birth takes place naturally with the use of epidural anesthesia. Otherwise, a forced measure is taken - a cesarean section. Only in this way is it still possible to save the child, and nothing will threaten the life of the mother.
In any case, if a woman is hospitalized, it is highly discouraged to refuse it. After all, at home it is impossible to provide medical assistance in a timely manner. And the ambulance still needs to wait.
Prevention of gestosis in pregnant women
No woman is immune from this disease, at the same time, it can be done so that it does not go into a more severe stage. And for this, prevention is needed. What can be done? Actually, it is recommended to adhere to the following:
- Any expectant mother needs to monitor her weight, not only during pregnancy, but even before it occurs. Everything needs control, and if extra pounds are gained rapidly, you should change the diet. Normally, weight gain is not more than 300 grams per week, otherwise this is the first alarm sign. The maximum addition to the 38th week should be 12 kg.
- Adhere to a thoughtful menu, diets for gestosis of pregnant women.
- Pregnancy is not a reason to postpone yoga, if possible, you can even do swimming, but everything should be within normal limits.
- Try to walk more in the fresh air.
- Having mastered breathing exercises in advance, you can prepare yourself for the upcoming birth.
- It is important to adhere to the correct regime of the day, in particular, sleep should last at least 8 hours.
- Do not shy away from scheduled examinations by a gynecologist.
But besides this, you need to remember about proper nutrition, and this is just below.
Special diet
As a prevention, it is worth sticking to the right diet. Since the child needs “building material” to form the cells of the future organism, dairy products, lean meat, eggs, and fish should be consumed. In addition, you can not do without vitamins, minerals, fiber, of which it is full of vegetables and fruits. And fiber is especially important, because with a minimum number of calories it helps to satisfy hunger.
Such a diet during gestosis in pregnant women has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract - constipation and other complications like hemorrhoids will not disturb, which affects many pregnant women.
If possible, it is better to limit the use of salty foods, as well as salt itself, or even completely exclude them from your diet, at least during pregnancy. The same applies to all flour and sweets: ice cream, cakes, sweets, cakes. All these sweets are better to find a worthy replacement in the form of fruit.
The main thing is not to eat everything and too much, motivating yourself with the fact that now you need to eat for two. This approach is incorrect, since it is not the quantity of products that is important, but the quality you write so that it contains all the most necessary elements. Otherwise, obesity threatens, of which there is no benefit.
Something about fluid
Despite the threat of gestosis in pregnant women (in particular, this is more related to edema), fluid is still needed, but in moderation - no more than 1.0-1.5 liters per day, including soups, teas, and fruit drinks. Salt will retain fluid in the body, and therefore it is better to refrain from pickled cucumbers and other similar products.
Excess moisture can be removed using a decoction of bearberry, rosehip, cranberry juice, and kidney tea. Just before that, everything needs to be agreed with the doctor. He will prescribe the intake of "Cyston", "Kanefron" and a number of other drugs.
What people think about gestosis
On the Internet you can find forums on a wide variety of topics. And pregnancy is no exception. , , . : , , . . , , . . ?!
Conclusion
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And for this, the future mother will have to go a long and difficult way, for which she should prepare in advance. Here the well-known proverb “Take care of your youth from youth” will be appropriate!