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Pregnancy is a wonderful time in the life of every woman, a time of unique happiness that the future mother shines with. Unfortunately, quite often pregnancy is overshadowed by such an unpleasant syndrome as toxicosis. What is it, how to fight and whether it is possible to prevent its occurrence, you will learn from this article.
Causes of toxicosis
The term toxicosis comes from the Greek word toxin, which already carries the definition of this condition. Such a symptom complex occurs in pregnant women due to the impact on their body of endogenous substances with foreign properties.
An intensively growing embryo is only half genetically identical to the mother’s body, so the immune system tries to defend itself by rejecting it.
In addition, with the onset of pregnancy, an intensive restructuring of the functioning of all systems of a woman’s organs occurs, which in itself is a stressful condition. The body of the future mother needs to start working to ensure not only its viability, but also to supply the growing life with all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, minerals, oxygen, and also to remove the products of its vital activity. Such high demands unbalance the work of all organ systems for many months.
In addition to the above features, it is important to note that the expectant mother must also protect the life developing inside her. Exogenous toxic substances that are dangerous for a growing embryo, coming with inhaled air, food intake, getting through the skin and in other ways, can cause a whole range of symptoms. Thus, intoxication of pregnant women is just a defensive reaction designed to protect a developing baby from danger.
Signs and symptoms of toxicosis
The signs of developing toxicosis include not only the classically described vomiting, but also:
Loss of appetite.
Mood swings.
Depression, apathy.
Weight loss.
Sleep disturbance.
Dizziness.
Nausea and vomiting.
Headache.
Prostration.
Drowsiness.
Irritability.
Tearfulness and nervousness.
Change in taste preferences.
Increased salivation.
Dryness of the skin.
Decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate.
Toxicosis in the first trimester
With the onset of pregnancy, almost 90% of women face problems with toxicosis. This should not be scared, but should not be considered the norm. You need to learn how to minimize the discomfort from the manifestations of toxicosis in the first weeks of pregnancy, for which it is best to contact a gynecologist. Only a specialist will help you choose the right complex therapy, which will not only improve the quality of life of the expectant mother, but also significantly reduce the risk of complications in the later weeks of pregnancy.
Toxicosis has now become almost a sign of pregnancy, its symptoms have become so frequent. However, toxicosis is not the norm, but a pathology. Most often, manifestations of toxicosis can be seen during the first 3,5 months of pregnancy. Experts suggest that this is due to the beginning of a new mode of operation of the woman’s body. During this period, there are global changes in the functioning of the digestive tract, excretory, circulatory, and immune systems. The unborn child is actively developing, giving the mother products of their vital activity, which are essentially endotoxins.
Also in the female body there is a powerful hormonal restructuring aimed at maintaining and maintaining pregnancy. Changes in the hormonal background invariably lead to disruption of normal well-being and the appearance of symptoms of toxicosis. But do not worry if the cause of the ailment is only a hormonal storm. The level of hormones is sure to stabilize by the beginning of the 2nd trimester of pregnancy.
With the appearance of toxicosis in the early stages, it is also possible to associate the psychological discomfort of the expectant mother. A woman is not always psychologically ready to accept herself as a mother here and now, and not someday, in the near future. In addition, there may be an aversion to the not-so-pleasant consequences of pregnancy: the process of childbirth, sagging skin, excess weight, etc. Because of such thoughts, the expectant mother can be upset, then the psychological alienation of the baby involuntarily appears, and the female body perceives the nascent life as an extremely alien object, giving out symptoms of severe intoxication.
As a rule, at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy, signs of toxicosis appear less and less, and then disappear altogether. The explanation for this can be found in the completed formation of the placenta, an organ that is essentially a buffer between mother and baby. The placental barrier not only protects the child from the aggressive effects of substances from the outside world, but also significantly reduces the toxic load on the mother’s body.
There is a conditional classification of this painful condition. There are 3 degrees:
1 degree. It is considered almost normal if a pregnant woman in the first months of her interesting position has weakness, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting occurs 1-2 times a day.
2 degree. With this degree of toxicosis, vomiting occurs up to 15 times a day. The quality of life of a woman drops significantly, it is necessary to start treatment.
3 degree. This is a very serious condition of a pregnant woman, in which vomiting can be more than 20 times a day. There is dehydration of the body, a miscarriage is possible. An urgent hospitalization of a woman is necessary, since in a hospital there is a chance not only to reduce the manifestations of toxicosis, but also to preserve a normally developing child.
Toxicosis in the second trimester
Toxicosis can also occur in the second trimester of pregnancy. In this case, his symptoms change slightly, which is associated with a more specific cause of toxicosis – a not quite healthy maternal body.
Toxicosis in the 2nd half of pregnancy manifests itself mainly if:
a woman over 30 or under 18;
there are inflammatory diseases of the organs of the reproductive and urinary systems;
there is a predisposition to diseases of the cardiovascular system.
Several diseases of pregnant women, united by the term toxicosis, should be distinguished:
dropsy,
preeclampsia and eclampsia,
nephropathy,
more rarely occurring – dermatoses, jaundice, tetany, generalized osteomalacia.
Modern researchers have come to the conclusion that signs of toxicosis after 15-16 weeks of pregnancy appear as a result of a disruption in the functioning of all organ systems of the female body, and this primarily concerns the work of the kidneys!
The main criterion for the severity of this pathology is the degree of disturbance in the functioning of the central nervous system, since it regulates the work of other organs. Mainly, improper regulation of the vascular bed by the nervous system leads to insufficient blood supply to all parts of the body, which is why there is an imbalance in the woman’s body and its autointoxication. Then, functional disorders in the urinary system begin to appear, which leads to edema, an increase in blood pressure numbers, and a deterioration in the rheological properties of the blood. All this can adversely affect the development of a child who receives less oxygen, nutrients, and the properties of the amniotic fluid, its pollution.
If toxicosis continues after 14 weeks of pregnancy, you should immediately consult a doctor. It is necessary to immediately begin therapy for this condition, since even now it poses a danger to the health and life of the mother and fetus. Do not postpone a visit to a specialist: the sooner complex treatment begins, the more likely it is to eliminate severe symptoms of late toxicosis.
Toxicosis in the third trimester
Toxicosis in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy is a condition that threatens the health of a woman and the child she is carrying, called gestosis.
Signs of gestosis can be:
excessive weight gain of a pregnant woman;
high blood pressure;
swelling of the limbs and face;
frequent dizziness, severe headaches;
muscle cramps;
loss of consciousness;
persistent peeling of the skin, rash.
Toxicosis in the last months of pregnancy is also dangerous because it can be hidden. This means that there will be swelling of the tissues of the internal organs, the amount of protein excreted in the urine will increase, which can only be established by laboratory means.
To determine the diagnosis in this case, it is very important to timely and dynamic observation of a pregnant woman. This is exactly what gynecologists do in antenatal clinics, which is why early pregnancy registration is mandatory. It is extremely important to give urine for analysis every 1-2 weeks to detect latent gestosis and treat it in a timely manner.
A pregnant woman needs specialized help when determining toxicosis in the third trimester of pregnancy. The safest thing would be urgent hospitalization in the antenatal department, where doctors will carry out not only therapeutic measures, but also daily monitoring of the child’s condition.
In severe forms of gestosis, urgent surgical care, a caesarean section, which saves the life of the baby and the woman in labor, may be required at any time. We must not forget that with an increase in blood pressure, the development of severe edema and general malaise in a pregnant woman, a child growing in her womb not only does not receive the necessary nutrients, but also experiences discomfort. Stress during the period of intrauterine development of the baby has a detrimental effect on his life and health in the future.
Treatment of toxicosis
Treatment of toxicosis at any stage of pregnancy involves an integrated approach. It is necessary to contact a specialist who will conduct a manual examination of the pregnant woman and prescribe a laboratory screening. Only with the results of these studies, the doctor should prescribe individual treatment, which is important for a pregnant woman to strictly observe. At the same time, it is also useful to maintain your body with the correct rhythm of life, to avoid overwork, lack of sleep, and abuse of bad habits.
First of all, it is necessary to replenish the reserves of nutrients, vitamins and microelements necessary for both the female body and the developing embryo. To do this, there are a lot of special vitamin complexes for pregnant women, which must be supplemented with vitamin E and folic acid, since they are extremely important in the first weeks of pregnancy for the proper laying and development of organ systems in a child. In addition, with their latent deficiency, severe disorders occur in the body of a woman.
It is worth remembering the rational daily routine. The increase in the load on the female body must be compensated for by a full and long sleep, the correct daily routine, and a balanced diet. It is highly desirable to stop smoking (for more details: the risk of miscarriage and other consequences of smoking), drinking alcohol and other bad habits. In addition to harm to the female body, they undoubtedly will not bring anything useful to the development of the embryo. Long walks in the fresh air, on the contrary, will not only eliminate most of the symptoms of early toxicosis, but also lead to an optimal oxygen content in the vascular bed of the expectant mother, which will positively affect her well-being and the development of the child.
If rational nutrition is not possible, women can use special dry milk mixtures, the variety of which on the market will satisfy any need. Having picked up such a product, the expectant mother will provide herself and the child with the necessary and sufficient set of nutrients. And this means that the manifestations of toxicosis will decrease significantly, not to mention a decrease in the risk of late intoxication complications.
General recommendations
Experts also give general recommendations for eliminating signs of toxicosis:
It is necessary to drink 0,5 of water immediately after waking up, even if you suffer from edema! This is very important for lowering hematocrit and normal kidney function.
You should not quickly jump out of bed, actions and movements should become smooth, calm.
You need to rest more, sleep at least 8-10 hours a day.
Fractional nutrition is recommended, which means eating food in small quantities, but often.
Need to drink more. Freshly squeezed juices, fruit drinks, various teas of weak tea leaves, mineral water without gas are best suited for this. The volume of clean water (excluding tea and coffee) should be 1,5 liters per day.
It is very useful to reconsider your diet, excluding fatty, smoked and other unhealthy foods from it. It is also worth abandoning excessive eating of mayonnaise, ketchup, confectionery.
Adding fresh vegetables and fruits to the diet has a positive effect on the digestion of a pregnant woman.
Mandatory walks in the morning and evening for 20-30 minutes in the fresh air. The room must always be ventilated to prevent hypoxia!
Eliminate stress and unnecessary worries from your life.
In addition, herbal teas (with lemon balm, nettle) can eliminate morning sickness. Aromatic oils of chamomile, mint will help overcome attacks of toxicosis. A slice of fresh lemon or a slice of pineapple will also relieve morning symptoms. You can not only eat such teas and fruits, but simply keep them on hand so that in case of ailments, you can simply inhale their aroma.
How can a doctor help?
The attending physician, in addition to general recommendations and prescriptions, should start the complex treatment of toxicosis on time. With a mild degree of malaise, preventive measures usually help, but if the quality of life of a pregnant woman has seriously decreased, medications must be prescribed.
Therapy of toxicosis is mainly aimed at improving metabolic processes, reducing intoxication and normalizing the general condition of patients. Thus, basically all drugs will affect the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal system. Medicines, in contraindications to which there is no pregnancy, are based on plant components, the action of which, among other things, improves tissue trophism and placental blood flow. Do not neglect their reception! Properly selected therapy will not only help eliminate signs of toxicosis, but also reduce the risk of late complications of pregnancy and childbirth.
The stronger the manifestations of toxicosis, the more directed should be its therapy. In late pregnancy, the best treatment option would be intravenous administration of a complex of drugs and daily monitoring of the baby’s condition. Finding pregnant women in a hospital is the best solution for preeclampsia, a guarantor of timely medical care.
Prevention of toxicosis during pregnancy
The best prevention of toxicosis during pregnancy is the treatment of existing chronic diseases before pregnancy. Preparing to become a mother, a woman is advised to avoid physical and psychological overload, eliminate or minimize the impact of harmful external factors, get rid of bad habits, reconsider her attitude to food, making her daily diet the most nutritious, rich in vitamins and minerals.
What to do in case of toxicosis? It is known that toxicosis is most pronounced in the morning. This is due to low blood sugar levels at this time of day. To prevent nausea, before you get up, you can eat some bread, dried fruit, a few crackers, or drink a cup of mint, lightly sweetened tea. After a light breakfast in bed, a woman’s blood glucose level rises, which helps to avoid morning deterioration. From drinks, you can choose the one that you like the most to taste. It can be water, soft drinks, tea, vegetable broth. Water can be replaced by juicy fruits: melon, grapes. Occasionally you can afford to eat ice cream.
How to eat right in case of toxicosis? Fans of spicy and fatty foods will have to limit themselves to the consumption of familiar dishes. Food that is easy to digest will help reduce the load on the stomach: vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy products. Frequent snacking helps to get rid of constant nausea during toxicosis of pregnant women: it is necessary to ensure that the stomach does not idle. After a hearty lunch or dinner, you should not go to bed. Of the products that relieve nausea, honey helps well: one spoonful of honey should be slowly absorbed in the mouth when you feel unwell.
What is important to remember with toxicosis? Timely medical care helps to avoid complications and alleviate the course of the main symptoms. Constant control of body weight in early pregnancy is also of great importance. A sharp drop or weight gain indicates serious complications and requires urgent medical attention. The doctor can diagnose “early toxicosis” by examining the patient’s complaints and conducting an additional examination in order to exclude pre-existing diseases with similar symptoms. No matter how toxicosis proceeds, every effort must be made to maintain pregnancy, since there is a high probability of re-toxicosis, the course of which will be even more severe.
Conclusion
Pregnancy is a process of restructuring the body, for the successful development of which often requires outside help. Many unpleasant moments can be minimized by early preparation for this unusual condition. The purpose of the preparatory stage is the prevention of pregnancy complications, which include toxicosis. It is worth taking care of prevention 3-6 months before conception, a competent specialist will help you with this. taking a complex of vitamins, a balanced diet, the correct rhythm of life, the cure of chronic diseases will contribute to the successful onset of pregnancy, its physiological course and the absence of complications.