Types, symptoms and treatment of internal edema in pregnant women. Internal edema during pregnancy signs

Edema during pregnancy

Almost 80% of women experience edema during pregnancy. Many consider this the norm and see no reason for concern. Is this true or is swelling a sign of a serious illness that requires timely treatment?

Edema on early dates pregnancies are rare. Most often, a woman encounters them in the middle and at the end of the waiting period for the baby.

Edema during pregnancy: causes

During pregnancy, swelling can occur for various reasons. Most often we are talking about physiological edema, which are the result of hormonal changes. However, edema may appear due to heart or kidney failure. And swelling in the last weeks of pregnancy may be the first sign of late toxicosis (preeclampsia).

Physiological edema during pregnancy

• Physiological edema is a consequence hormonal changes future mother. From the first days of pregnancy, a woman's level of progesterone increases sharply, which performs the function of blocking the contractile functions of the uterus. This is necessary to maintain pregnancy. Side effects hormone - the accumulation of potassium, which contributes to fluid retention in the body.
• In the body of the expectant mother the volume of blood circulating through the vessels increases which increases pressure on the walls of blood vessels. Thus, blood can penetrate into the surrounding tissues, which also causes edema.

Both of these reasons are normal for a pregnant woman and are not a cause for concern.

Another phenomenon familiar to pregnant women is swelling of the nasal mucosa. It seems to be a common runny nose, but it cannot be treated with conventional methods. Vasoconstrictors will not only help with a runny nose, but will also narrow the vessels in the placenta and umbilical cord. This may be the cause of fetal hypoxia. Other cold remedies pass through the placenta into the baby's blood. Not treating is not an option. Swelling of the nasal mucosa makes it difficult to breathe, less oxygen enters the blood, as a result - oxygen starvation in a child. The safest option is to clean the nasal cavity in a timely manner and rinse with salt water or saline. The cause of swelling of the nasal mucosa during pregnancy is the same progesterone.

Swelling of the labia during pregnancy

Swelling of the labia appears in the third trimester and does not pose a threat. At the end of pregnancy, the fetus becomes large. The baby presses on the lower part of the uterus and compresses the blood vessels. This leads to stagnation of blood and, as a result, edema occurs. In some cases, varicose veins of the vagina may occur, manifested by the protrusion of the veins and the formation of knots. This condition is not a pathology and disappears after childbirth.

"Heart" edema during pregnancy

The cause of edema can be problems with the cardiovascular system. Such edema has a strictly defined localization: they always tend to go down. If a woman is standing, her legs swell, in the supine position the lower back or abdomen swells.

To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor needs to measure the size of the liver. The fact is that with edema caused by heart disease, the size of the liver first of all increases. Other types of edema during pregnancy do not cause such changes.

"Renal" edema duringpregnancy

Not all kidney disorders lead to edema. The cause of such problems most often becomes acute or chronic glomerulonephritis. With "renal" edema, the face swells first, then the arms and legs.

Most often, a woman knows about her kidney problems, which greatly simplifies the diagnosis. However, in some cases, against the background of pregnancy, such diseases occur primarily. In this case, additional studies are needed to make a diagnosis. When confirming the diagnosis, medical treatment in a hospital is necessary.

Edema with late toxicosis (Edema with preeclampsia)

Most common cause pathological edema of pregnant women - gestosis (dropsy), or late toxicosis. Swelling is just the first symptom of a serious problem. For edema, a pregnant woman is waiting for an increase in blood pressure, the appearance of protein in the urine and a change in the functioning of the brain, which can be manifested by convulsions. The accumulation of fluid during gestosis (dropsy) occurs due to a violation of water-salt metabolism and an increase in capillary permeability.

There are three stages of edema with gestosis (dropsy):

How to recognize swelling during pregnancy?

In most cases, it is easy to recognize swelling during pregnancy on your own.

• The very first and most common sign is that it is difficult to fasten your shoes at the end of the day.
• The second most common sign is that it is difficult to remove a wedding ring from a finger.
• Another reliable way to recognize swelling during pregnancy is to monitor weight gain. If you gain more than 300-400 gr. per week, or weight gain is uneven - this indicates the presence of edema.
• In addition, the skin of a woman with edema first becomes loose, and then vice versa, stretches and becomes tense.

Internal edema during pregnancy: signs

Unfortunately, in some cases, determining the presence of edema is not so simple. We are talking about hidden, internal edema. In this case, it is of paramount importance weight gain control pregnant woman. Hidden edema, or, as they are also called, pasty, give themselves out as sharp and uneven weight jumps.

You can more accurately determine the presence of edema after observing for several days the amount of fluid excreted from the body. Edema during pregnancy occurs when fluid retention occurs in the body. That is what needs to be tracked. For measurements, it is necessary to keep records during the day: how much liquid was drunk / eaten and how much was excreted. When calculating the injected fluid, not only drinks are taken into account, but also soups and fruits (vegetables). Doctors recommend equating one fruit or vegetable to 50 ml. liquids. Normally, a person removes up to 75% of the liquid drunk from swords, the rest is excreted through breathing and sweat. If there are obvious deviations from these indications, then there are hidden edema. For greater reliability of observation, it is recommended to repeat 2-3 times.

Another way to track swelling is about track changes in ankle diameter. If the fluctuations are more than 1 cm, this is also a clear sign of edema.

Are swelling during pregnancy dangerous?

By themselves, swelling is rarely really dangerous. The main danger is the disease, the symptoms of which they are. However, internal swelling of the abdomen can harm the fetus. The fact is that mainly muscle tissues swell, including the uterus, placenta and abdominal wall. A swollen placenta can pinch the vessels of the umbilical cord, which causes a lack of oxygen in the baby.

Edema during pregnancy: how to deal

With physiological edema, it is enough to follow a diet for pregnant women, as well as control fluid intake. First of all, it is worth giving up fatty, fried, smoked and salty foods. Salt contributes especially strongly to fluid retention in the body, so it is better to undersalt all food a little. If we talk about numerical expression, then the norm of salt for a pregnant woman is 8 g, and in ordinary life - 14 g. With strong physiological edema, you can sit on a salt-free diet for some time. In some cases, you can drink diuretics, but only after consulting a doctor.

Other types of edema cannot be treated with a diet; medication and strict medical supervision are necessary. It is very important to rule out the root cause.

The most difficult thing is with gestosis. Despite the swelling, the body of the expectant mother is faced with dehydration. And this means that you can not limit fluid intake or take diuretic drugs (teas). How to be? First of all, you must strictly follow the diet. This will not completely solve the problem, but it will relieve the general tension. Secondly, follow the doctor's recommendations exactly and take a course of medical treatment.

Edema during pregnancy: folk remedies

There are a number of women who are fighting edema with folk remedies. Now you can easily find recipes for teas and infusions using herbs, cranberries, pumpkins, dried apricots and other products that can solve this problem. In fact, most recipes are diuretic teas and infusions. And as mentioned above, not in all cases, such tools can be used. Treat folk recipes with a due degree of criticality and in no case should they replace the treatment prescribed by the doctor.

In rainy weather, after a hard day at work, most people experience edema. The legs become "cotton", in the morning bags under the eyes are more and more disturbing, you begin to feel like a balloon. Edema occurs not only on parts of the body, but also on the internal organs.
Basically, they are a signal that something is not right with your body. Cause of edema could be anything, here are some of them.

- Spending a lot of time in an upright position. At the same time, the lower limbs swell.
- In most women, swelling occurs before menstruation. Swelling of the eyelids, face, ankles, as well as joints and gums.
- Many people are concerned about swelling of the eyes. They usually appear due to kidney disease, allergies and hormonal disorders. Another reason is lack of sleep, drinking large amounts of fluids, salty and spicy foods before bedtime.
- Edema can occur in pregnant women. Usually, the legs swell first, then the arms, stomach and face. In some cases, swelling may be a sign of toxicosis.
- Another one possible reason- an insect bite, eating unusual food, as well as the body's reaction to cosmetics and drugs. This type of puffiness is called Quincke's edema. Often it has an allergic nature. Patients may have enlarged limbs and face.
- Also, swelling can occur due to varicose veins, injuries and extensive bruising.
- With insufficient heart function, cardiac edema may occur. Causes of swelling - increased venous pressure, salt retention in the body. At the same time, the legs swell first. And if you do not carry out treatment, then the hands and the body will begin to swell from the inside. And in the most difficult cases, the subcutaneous tissue of the entire body swells.
- Edema can be caused by prolonged fasting. Due to malnutrition, the level of protein in the blood decreases, “hungry” edema appears.

Treat swelling You can either with the help of a doctor or at home.
1. With edema caused by excessive fluid intake, you can fight with the help of special foot baths. To do this, add a few tablespoons of salt to cool water and dip your feet in the container for 5-10 minutes.
2. Use diuretics. The choice of the drug and the calculation of the dose should be carried out with the help of a doctor.
3. Compression underwear can be used to prevent leg swelling. It does not allow fluid to stagnate in the lower extremities.
4. Special cream-gels with the addition of vegetable oils will help to cope with swelling of the legs.
5. For swelling due to PMS, eliminate salty foods from the diet. Drink peppermint and chamomile teas.
6. To combat eye swelling, make chamomile, sage and dill compresses. In addition, you will prevent the early appearance of wrinkles in the eye area.
7. Another method of dealing with edema is to strengthen the vascular system of the body. Temper your body, exercise regularly. You can do a healing massage of swollen parts of the body.

Remember that swelling is not a disease, but a consequence. Therefore, the disease itself must be treated. And only a doctor can prescribe a competent, balanced treatment.

Probably every person at least once in his life had to deal with such an unpleasant phenomenon as internal swelling or swelling of various parts of the body. This is due to the accumulation of excess fluid in the subcutaneous tissues. As a separate species, puffiness inside the body can be considered, which, as a rule, occurs either against the background of disorders of the internal organs of vital activity, or during pregnancy. In cases with diseases, edema is a symptom of the disease, or a complicated form of edema that has not been cured before. As for pregnancy, this is the most common type of this edema.

Internal edema - treatment

Before starting treatment internal edema you need to pass all the necessary tests, in particular a blood test, urine test, for the presence of an allergic reaction of the body, which will help the doctor choose the most suitable treatment for you (since an allergic reaction is possible to a number of drugs, as a result of which complications). Also, for the treatment of internal edema, they can prescribe vitamins, drugs that strengthen the walls of blood vessels, as well as prescribe a special diet and prescribe a diuretic drink (herbs, teas, tinctures from berries, etc.).

Internal edema - symptoms

Internal edema is a complex form of edema. It is determined by pressing on the swollen surface with the tip of your finger and in cases of fossa formation, it can be assumed that you have edema, but the main criterion by which it is determined internal edema is an increase in weight of more than 300 gr. This is the same fluid that formed the internal edema. The result of this could be the manifestation of an allergic reaction, or the presence of some disease of the abdominal organs (edema occurs in the lumbar region).

Quite rarely, but still there are cases when internal edema is a symptom of a disease in pregnant women such as preeclampsia, which can cause the development of nephropathy (impaired kidney function, resulting in the presence of protein in the urine), eclampsia. These symptoms can occur after the 20th week of pregnancy as a result of any complications and require immediate medical attention. In addition to edema during pregnancy, there are also internal edema of the kidneys and heart, the causes of which are a violation in the performance of their functions, as well as previously experienced diseases that make themselves felt. In cases of cardiac edema, swelling is observed in the lumbar region and the hip part, an enlargement of the liver is possible, and in cases of renal edema, bags under the eyes appear, hands and feet swell.

Have you read a lot of terrible facts about the swelling of pregnant women and now you are worried that you will not be able to determine internal swelling in time? How to recognize swelling during pregnancy and how to deal with them? We will answer your questions!

How to determine swelling during pregnancy

Almost 80% of pregnant women experience swelling of certain parts of the body. Puffiness during pregnancy is a well-known fact that can scare women who are just planning their pregnancy. In fact, swelling in most cases is a normal phenomenon, which is explained by physiological changes. You can diagnose it yourself, but at the same time, no one cancels the supervision of a doctor and compliance with his recommendations.

Signs of edema during pregnancy

Expectant mothers are often upset, and sometimes frightened, by possible swelling during pregnancy. Their symptoms are easy to identify: you answered yes to the following questions:

• Is your wedding ring difficult or impossible to remove from your finger?
• Are your comfortable shoes getting tight?
• Are you gaining more than 300 grams per week?
• Does pressure leave a fingerprint on the skin?

All these obvious signs of edema are hard to miss. As a rule, the legs swell first, then the arms, then swelling of the abdomen and face is added. Do not take this phenomenon lightly, be sure to consult a doctor for advice on reducing swelling and its further prevention.

Pregnant women are advised to reduce salt, sweets and carbonated drinks in their diet, which retain fluid in the body. At the same time, in no case should you reduce the amount of fluid you drink, because the less water you drink, the more your body will try to retain it.

Try not to stand or sit for a long time, not to be in hot places. Apply medications, including herbal preparations, only as prescribed by a doctor.

In the normal course of pregnancy and the absence of diseases of the kidneys and the cardiovascular system, edema appears at the end of the second trimester.

Internal edema during pregnancy: signs and methods of treatment.

There are cases when it is not so easy to recognize the presence of edema. Hidden or pasty edema can only be diagnosed by constantly monitoring changes in weight. With hidden edema, a pregnant woman gains a lot of weight and unevenly. You can more accurately determine the presence of internal edema during pregnancy by monitoring the amount of fluid removed from the body. After all, edema occurs when fluid accumulates in the body, and this delay needs to be analyzed.

Normally, a person excretes up to 75% of the liquid consumed with urine. In this case, one vegetable or fruit should be equated to 50 ml of liquid (some recommend that the weight of the fruit be considered as the same amount of liquid). If you have identified significant deviations from the norm, then there is a high probability of hidden edema during pregnancy. Their symptoms are not so obvious, but the consequences due to the lack of treatment can be dangerous.

If you believe Western experts, then both hidden and visible edema during pregnancy are a physiologically determined phenomenon, therefore, they do not require any observation, let alone treatment. Domestic doctors are of a different opinion. Edema is not dangerous in itself, but as possible symptoms of a disease, which in any case is easier to recognize in the early stages and cure without consequences for the expectant mother and her child. This is especially true for pregnant women in the later stages, when edema can provoke placental abruption and oxygen starvation of the child.