When edema begins during pregnancy. Puffiness during pregnancy is why the legs suffer in the first place. What to do if pasty edema is found

Edema during pregnancy is one of the most common phenomena, therefore, often, future mothers simply do not pay attention to them, not realizing what they are dangerous and carelessly thinking that they do not threaten any consequences. In fact, everything is far from the case, because the accumulation of excess fluid affects both the activity of the entire female body (kidney function is disrupted, blood circulation problems appear) and the function of the placenta (it is through it that your baby receives nutrients, water, oxygen) ... But the most important thing is that in late pregnancy, edema is the very first sign of a pathology such as gestosis (previously referred to as "late toxicosis"), which endangers the life of the expectant mother and her baby.

Hearing the word "toxicosis", many women will think that there is nothing to do, and the problem is simply exaggerated, because every second person during the first ten weeks is faced with morning sickness and other unpleasant phenomena. But it should be borne in mind that in the first trimester, such a condition is caused by a restructuring of the body and is considered a normal phenomenon, and after 32-33 weeks it can be the beginning of a dangerous complication of pregnancy.

Edema is most often obvious, in this case, both the woman and her doctor can easily notice them, or they can be hidden, appearing due to fluid retention in the body. Latent pathological deviation can be suspected of uneven or too much weight gain.

How to get rid of them, the attending physician should prompt, because the therapy program depends on the degree of pathology. With a mild form, a number of recommendations are given to relieve symptoms at home, these are:

• diet (reducing the amount of salt consumed, increasing fiber, protein and vitamins);
• weekly cottage cheese and apple "fasting" days;
• control of the drinking balance (daily fluid intake of 1.5 liters);
• daily walks in the fresh air;
• possibly drugs.

Swelling of the legs during pregnancy and why they appear

Swelling of the legs in pregnant women is almost inevitable, the reasons for this phenomenon most often lie in weight gain and metabolic disorders (especially - the removal of fluid from the body). Extra pounds lead to increased stress on the lower extremities, circulatory disorders and, as a result, to varicose veins. In the later stages, women often see varicose veins, and expectant mothers themselves complain of heaviness and severe pain in the legs, increased fatigue.

How to plan a pregnancy and what to do

The earlier you pay attention to the deviation, the easier it is to stop its development. If the problem is fluid retention in the body, then the first signs of puffiness can be noticed when your favorite shoes of the correct size suddenly become small. What to do in this case? The first is to limit the use of table salt, sodium attracts water and prevents its exit. In addition, it is necessary to exclude fried, fermented and smoked foods, as well as refuse coffee and black tea. You can alleviate the condition by resting and placing a roller under your feet (it is easy to do it by twisting any blanket). The measures taken should give a visible result within five days, if this did not happen, then the doctor will prescribe medications.

What causes hand swelling during pregnancy and how to fix them

Often, expectant mothers complain of swelling of the fingers. The deviation may manifest itself in the inability to remove the ring, or it may be accompanied by soreness, tingling or numbness, burning sensation in the wrist area.

In the early stages, such a phenomenon often does not pose a danger, it is observed in women who work a lot on the computer and actively use the keyboard and mouse, as well as among those who are fond of knitting, modeling, and handmade. It is explained by the so-called "tunnel" syndrome, in which fluid accumulates in the wrist and presses on the passing nerve, which leads to pain. You can fix the problem with the help of gymnastics for the hands and fingers, as well as rest.

If puffiness began to appear at a later date, and the expectant mother notices similar problems with her legs, then this may be a sign of "dropsy of pregnant women", ie. the first stage of gestosis. What to do in this case?

1. First, it is necessary to urgently reduce salt intake, it retains fluid in the body.
2. Secondly, consult a doctor, he will prescribe medications or recommend herbal teas.
3. Thirdly, do not forget about the activity and benefits of movement (in particular, gymnastics).

If the measures taken did not help, a course of therapy in a hospital is required.

Swelling of the nose during pregnancy - what can it be?

Swelling of the nasal mucosa is also observed quite often. A specific condition called pregnancy runny nose can occur for a number of reasons, for example:

• due to hormonal changes;
• due to an allergic reaction (to pollen, pet hair, new washing powder, etc.). Even if there was no allergy before, then an "interesting" situation can become an impetus for an unpleasant reaction of the body.

According to experts, you can get pregnant while breastfeeding

Swelling of the nasal mucosa does not harm the mother directly, but it can affect the supply of oxygen to the body and to the fetus. Therefore, you need to worry about how to remove a runny nose faster, but do not forget that not all medicines are allowed to be taken by expectant mothers.

Why does the face often swell during pregnancy?

Changed facial features, its roundness and puffiness, swelling of the eyelids (which visually narrows the eyes) - all this also often worries pregnant women, and such signs may indicate a problem in the functioning of the kidneys. In this case, a special treatment is prescribed under the supervision of a nephrologist. But we can also talk about physiological edema, in this case, try to reduce the intake of salt, as well as smoked and fermented, adjust the daily volume of fluid consumed (optimally - 1.5 liters per day), minimize the amount you drink at night, try to sleep on your left side - all this will relieve symptoms and help to "unload" the kidneys.

If, together with the face, the expectant mother feels swelling of the lower and upper extremities, abdomen, hips, vagina - this may indicate a more serious pathological process. In the last weeks, edema is often the first signs of preeclampsia, a disease that threatens with serious consequences, up to detachment of the placenta, bleeding, premature birth, fetal freezing.

Swelling at 38 weeks pregnant: dangerous or not

The reasons for the appearance of edema in the expectant mother at 38 weeks of gestation can be caused by various reasons and be both physiological and pathological in nature. Unfortunately, most often this is a pathology (gestosis), although doctors at this time are already calm about the baby's life, because at 37 weeks the little man is already fully formed and is ready to be born without even waiting 40 weeks. In principle, the 38th and 39th weeks he needs only to gain weight and grow a little more.

What are the early signs of pregnancy?

Gestosis in most pregnant women develops at 32-34 weeks, swelling is only the first stage of this pathology, and it is reversible. It is important to take the doctor's recommendations with full responsibility, and most often within 6-7 days the problem can be eliminated. If a deviation is found at 25 weeks, then this indicates a complex course of the pathological process, therefore, the expectant mother comes under the close attention of doctors until the 38th week, during which labor can be stimulated.

Waiting for a baby is both a happy and exciting period in a woman's life. Any changes in well-being cause increased attention from the expectant mother. Often an interesting position is accompanied by some characteristic or pathological symptoms. Swelling of the legs affects about 30% of women during pregnancy. Why does edema occur in pregnant women at different times? How can they be dangerous and how to deal with them correctly and when should you pay increased attention to them? We will talk about this in this article.

Why does edema occur during pregnancy?

Puffiness can bother the expectant mother from the very early dates... Often, they are the early signs of pregnancy. This is due to an increase in blood flow in the small pelvis and changes in hormonal levels. Indeed, many women observe swelling in the second half of the cycle, it is triggered by an increase in the production of progesterone. This hormone is responsible for preserving the developing embryo.

At a later date, from 12 weeks, when the fetus has already formed and begins to grow actively, the enlarging uterus exerts pressure on the internal organs. The outflow of blood worsens, the lymph from the lower extremities leaves more slowly. This is the most common reason why legs swell during pregnancy.

The body weight of a pregnant woman increases all the time and the load on the lower extremities increases, especially if she spends a lot of time in a standing position. Under the influence of hormones, more fluid accumulates in the tissues. It is quite difficult to remove it from the body, because they remain at a high level throughout the entire period of gestation. In principle, it is undesirable to do this for the reason that it can lead to disruption of metabolic processes.

Often, swelling in the legs is accompanied by pain or pulling sensations, night cramps and cramps, numbness, tingling sensations. Such symptoms may indicate a deficiency in the body of vitamins and trace elements, for example, potassium, magnesium, iron or calcium. In the later stages, edema is caused by pressure from the uterus on the nerve endings.

A large number of doctors are inclined to believe that compression of the nerves by edematous tissues in the legs disrupts their conduction. The use of B vitamins has a beneficial effect on nerve cells and helps to reduce the number of spasms. This assumption is not scientifically confirmed, however, gynecologists recommend that pregnant women additionally consume vitamins from this group in order to relieve leg swelling during pregnancy.

Symptoms and diagnosis of edema

Most often, a pregnant woman herself turns to the doctor with complaints that her legs are swollen. The first thing that attracts attention is the difficulty with fastening shoes during pregnancy or the need to change your usual size to a much larger one. You can check for swelling by pressing your finger in the ankle joint for a few seconds, if after that there is a dent that does not go away immediately.

You can suspect them by measuring the circumference of the ankles. It is worth considering that this is required to be done weekly. With severe edema, their volume increases by more than 1 cm every 7-10 days. The presence of edema is indicated by the condition of the skin on the legs. The skin acquires a looser structure, looks taut, stretch marks may appear.

Causes of swelling of the legs, arms and face during pregnancy

Swelling of the legs is observed in most women in interesting situation... Long-term walking can contribute to their occurrence. A slight swelling in the legs towards the end of the day is a normal variant. If it persists after sleep, you should consult your doctor.
Swelling in the hands and fingers is manifested by the difficulty of squeezing them into a fist or the inability to put on or remove the ring. Often, swelling of the fingers occurs in women who work at a computer. The constant repetition of monotonous movements provokes congestion in the tissues.

Facial swelling in pregnant women often causes difficulty in nasal breathing. This leads to a deterioration in general well-being due to a lack of oxygen supply to the brain and can provoke a decrease in blood pressure, an unpleasant condition in the form of nasal congestion and other uncomfortable conditions. In this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor about prescribing topical preparations (ointments or drops) that will help improve breathing.

Internal edema

In fact, the danger is not the manifestations of puffiness themselves, but those pathologies that are accompanied by them. The presence of internal edema can cause hypoxia in the baby. They are found in the course of systematic control of weight gain.

The symptom is an increase in body weight, more than 0.4 kg per week. They are also characterized by abrupt changes in weight. It is possible to accurately determine the presence of latent edema by monitoring daily urine output. Normally, the amount of excreted fluid should be at least 75% of that which entered the body with food and drink. If this figure is lower, this indicates the presence of hidden edema.

The cause of severe swelling in the period from 7 to 12 weeks can be serious diseases of the kidneys and cardiovascular system. At a later date, such conditions may be accompanied by an increase in blood pressure, which indicates the development of gestosis. In this case, hormonal changes lead to the formation of microscopic holes in the capillaries and large vessels, from which fluid seeps into the tissue, which provokes blood thickening.

Without adequate therapy, this can be fatal for the fetus and for the woman herself. For this reason, early diagnosis is extremely important!

Danger of edema during pregnancy

Puffiness during the period of bearing a baby may be a sign of late toxicosis or gestosis. In the later stages, such symptoms are the reason for increased attention from the doctor leading the pregnancy. Due to tissue edema, the child may suffer from oxygen starvation, and the woman herself from disruption of the internal organs. This condition in severe cases requires immediate delivery in order to keep the mother and baby alive. That is why a woman should ask herself the question of how to get rid of leg edema during pregnancy.

When to sound the alarm? Suspect the appearance of edema on the legs, which are pathological in nature and can lead to serious consequences during during pregnancy the following symptoms may:

• If there is a large increase in body weight and associated chronic fatigue.
• In addition to the lower extremities, there are swelling in other parts of the body: face, arms, abdomen and lower back.
• The swelling persists after sleep.
• In addition to edema, there is increased blood pressure or hypotension.
• Urinalysis showed the presence of protein.
• The symptoms are accompanied by a rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath.

Therapeutic measures and medication

Abroad, doctors do not recommend treating edema with physiological causes. In the countries of the post-Soviet space, such symptoms are treated more wary. They are sure that treatment should be carried out when the first signs appear, while the edema is not complicated by concomitant pathological conditions. After all, they may be followed by an increase in blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine, which are direct symptoms of gestosis.
In modern medicine there is different ways fight against edema during pregnancy:

• Compliance with a diet;
• Folk remedies;
• Drug treatment;
• Diuretic drugs.

Most often, medication is prescribed for a long period of about a month. In this case, mainly homeopathic medicines are used with a minimal risk of side effects Phytolysin, Cyston or Kanephron.

They have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic and mild diuretic effects. In addition, they help to establish the correct functioning of the kidneys. Diuretics with a more pronounced effect, which can quickly remove excess water from the body, are categorically contraindicated during pregnancy. It is forbidden to take them without first consulting your doctor about how to remove swelling from the legs during pregnancy.

Vitamins to reduce edema

Strengthening the cardiovascular system and improving the uteroplacental blood flow have a good therapeutic effect in some patients with swelling. This prevents excess fluid from seeping into the tissue and reduces the likelihood of edema formation. For this purpose, pregnant women are prescribed Vitamin E preparations, lipoic acid, Manegroth, Magne B6 and vitamin complexes.

Special creams for the treatment of edema

A good result is the use of creams for leg edema, which are not contraindicated during pregnancy. Their action is aimed at directly eliminating the problem, relieving fatigue and treating varicose veins, if such a problem exists.

As a rule, these local preparations include herbal ingredients: extracts of hazel, horse chestnut, menthol, essential oils, vitamins and minerals. These creams include Guam DUO, Sanosan cooling gel cream, Mama Comfort cream balm for edema, Mama Care and many others.

Important! If the cause of severe swelling of the legs during pregnancy are serious pathologies, for example, kidney or heart disease, then most often the treatment is carried out in a hospital under the strict supervision of a specialist.

Folk remedies for edema

With good general health, you can use recipes from traditional medicine to treat edema. In any case, they can only be used after a preliminary discussion of this possibility with a gynecologist from the antenatal clinic, where the woman is registered. Baths for leg swelling during pregnancy with cool water, close to room temperature, will help relieve fatigue and reduce swelling in the tissues. You can enhance the effectiveness of such a procedure by adding sea or ordinary table salt to the water.

You can relieve swelling with the help of natural medicinal plants, teas from which have a diuretic effect. These include kidney fees, decoctions of wild rose, hawthorn, bearberry, horsetail or dried apricots. Freshly squeezed juices from lingonberries, cranberries, cherries saturate the body with vitamins and remove excess fluid.

If natural remedies do not give the desired effect, you should consult a doctor to prescribe safe diuretics for leg edema, which are allowed during pregnancy and will not harm the expectant mother and baby.

Prevention of edema during pregnancy

It is possible to prevent the development of edema by observing preventive recommendations, which include the following measures: clothes and shoes of a pregnant woman should be free so as not to cause circulatory disorders. Contrary to popular belief, drinking restrictions can cause edema. Not receiving enough fluid, the body can begin to accumulate it "in reserve".

Adequate physical activity will reduce the risk of fluid stagnation in the tissues. If you plan to use a specific set of exercises, it is worth discussing with your doctor. Comfortable footwear will help reduce stress on your feet, thereby reducing the risk of edema.
Adequate rest and healthy sleep are essential for the expectant mother for a healthy pregnancy. Correct and balanced nutrition plays a special role.

Eating a diet can help reduce swelling and reduce the risk of swelling. Meals must necessarily include proteins of animal origin and dairy products. It is advisable to eat as much potassium-rich foods as possible - legumes, herbs, bananas, melons and apricots. Limit the amount of salt to 1 g per day. Exclude pickles, smoked meats, fried and spicy.

Important! You should not take diuretics without a doctor's prescription or without first consulting with him about taking a particular medication.

Often, leg edema in pregnant women has a physiological cause and is not a pathological condition. However, they can be caused by serious illnesses, as well as provoke a danger to the expectant mother and child. For this reason, they cannot be ignored.

If you have symptoms of swelling, you must urgently seek qualified advice from a specialist!

About 80 percent of pregnant women will sooner or later experience edema. Why is this happening, how to minimize the risk of edema and is it worth panicking if they do occur?

Edema is an excessive accumulation of fluid in body tissues. They can be explicit and internal (hidden), have a physiological or pathological nature.

Causes of edema in pregnant women

• Pregnancy. Changes in hormonal levels and a growing uterus are factors contributing to the appearance of edema. With multiple pregnancies, the risk of swelling increases significantly.
• Emerging or aggravated health problems.
• Bad habits.
• Overweight.
• Improper nutrition.
• Prolonged stay in a standing or sitting position.
• Age 35 and older.

Swelling during pregnancy, stage

1. At the first stage, the legs swell during pregnancy: legs, feet.
2. In the second stage, swelling of the hips and abdomen joins the above.
3. In the third stage, the swelling spreads to the hands, wrists. The face becomes puffy.
4. The fourth stage is general edema.

The nature of edema during pregnancy

Physiological nature of edema

Man is 80 percent water. During pregnancy, a woman normally gains 10-12 kg, half of which is water. In the tissues and blood of the expectant mother, the sodium content increases, which retains fluid. With the growth of the fetus, the pressure of the uterus on the vena cava and ureters increases, which contributes to the deterioration of fluid discharge. Therefore, swelling during late pregnancy is such a common occurrence.

Slight swelling of the legs and feet, which manifests itself closer to the afternoon and passes after a night's sleep, is not a reason for panic. Towards the end of pregnancy, women may experience swelling of the labia. This is also a variant of the norm.

Physiological edema also includes swelling of the tissues of the nose, followed by difficulty in breathing.

The pathological nature of edema

• Renal edema during pregnancy

The kidneys of pregnant women have a colossal load. Renal edema can develop due to the onset or worsening of kidney disease during pregnancy. Such edema is localized, mainly on the face: it becomes puffy, the eyelids swell. The wrists and hands may also swell.
Disorder of the kidneys is also indicated by the protein that appears in the urine of a pregnant woman.

• Cardiac edema during pregnancy

In a pregnant woman, blood volume increases by 40-50 percent. Consequently, the load on the "pump" that makes it circulate - the heart - increases significantly.
Downward tendency is characteristic of cardiac edema. If a woman is in a standing position, then her legs will swell during pregnancy. In the supine position, the abdomen or back will be swollen.
With edema of this kind, shortness of breath, cyanosis of the mucous membranes, persistent heartbeat are also observed.

• Internal edema during pregnancy

Internal edema is not visible to the naked eye, but is a danger to the development of the baby. The fact is that with a latent form of edema, the uterus, placenta and abdominal wall swell most often. The edematous placenta can compress the vessels of the umbilical cord, which will lead to placental insufficiency.

• Puffiness, as a manifestation of gestosis

Gestosis is a complication of the course of pregnancy, which is the main cause of maternal mortality and increases the risk of fetal / child death in the first week after birth by 5-7 times.
Severe edema during pregnancy, both external and internal, along with proteinuria and high blood pressure, are classic symptoms of late toxicosis.

Swelling during pregnancy, diagnosis

Daily diuresis

When conducting diuresis, the volume absorbed is calculated, taking into account liquid foods and fruits, and the volume of excreted fluids, minus the first morning urine, which refers to the previous day. About 75 percent of the absorbed fluid should be excreted from the body along with urine. A significantly lower indicator indicates that the fluid is retained in the tissues.
For greater informational content, it is recommended to conduct the study for 3 consecutive days.

McClure test - Aldrich

In everyday life, it is called blister breakdown. For the study, a woman is injected intradermally into inner side forearm 0.2 ml of sterile sodium chloride solution at a concentration of 0.8%. As a result, a bump forms on the skin, resembling a lemon peel in texture. Normally, this tubercle resolves in an hour. In case of hidden edema, the time of resorption decreases in direct proportion to the degree of edema.

The test is performed on an empty stomach, the patient must be in a sitting or lying position.
Currently, the blister test is rarely performed due to the length of the study.

Examination of the limbs

• The swelling may cause numbness or tingling sensation in the fingers and toes.
• With edema, the girth of the ankle increases by a centimeter or more.
• When pressing on the swollen limb, the formed "dent" is not straightened immediately.
• Swollen feet give out deep rubber marks after wearing socks or golf.
• Swollen hands indicate difficulty getting the rings on or off. It is not recommended to wear rings for women who have had finger swelling during pregnancy.

Weight gain tracking

According to WHO standards, the weekly weight gain in the second half of pregnancy for women with a normal body mass index should be about 230 grams. Sudden changes in body weight or a set of more than 350 grams may indicate the presence of edema.

Physiological swelling during pregnancy prevention and treatment

Physiological edema does not require medication. In order to minimize the risk of such edema, it is enough to follow simple recommendations.

Healthy eating

• Nutrition plays a vital role in reducing edema. During pregnancy, you should exclude all kinds of pickles, smoked meats, spicy foods, carbonated drinks and limit the use of sweets.
• The volume of liquid, contrary to popular belief, should not be greatly reduced. For the normal functioning of the body, a pregnant woman needs to consume about one and a half liters of liquid per day, taking into account the first courses and watery fruits. A strong reduction in the volume of incoming fluid can have the opposite effect - the body will begin to "store" water, and the swelling will only intensify. For the same reason, you should not completely eliminate salt from the diet.
• It is useful to arrange unloading vegetable and milk days.

An active lifestyle, gymnastics

The only reason to exclude physical activity during pregnancy is the threat of termination. In other cases, light physical activity will only benefit.

• To prevent or combat edema, special fitness or water aerobics for expectant mothers, swimming, and not too long walks are well suited. Even a banal daily exercise will bear fruit.
• Pregnant women with sedentary, sedentary work are advised, whenever possible, to raise and put their feet on a chair during the working day for better fluid drainage.
• Due to the repeated repetition of the same actions, the hands swell during pregnancy. Therefore, it is advisable to minimize the time spent at the computer, modeling, knitting, etc. Or, as a last resort, remember to take breaks and do hand exercises.
• A popular exercise to combat edema, in which a woman lies on the floor and, raising her legs high up, rests them against the wall. In the second half of pregnancy, it must be modernized by placing a hard roller under the woman's buttocks. Otherwise, due to the pressure of the grown uterus on the small vena cava, the outflow of venous blood will be difficult.
• To prevent or combat swelling and relieve the back, you can do the "cat" exercise.

• Nicely reduces the load on the kidneys and static knee-elbow position. To achieve a tangible effect, you need to perform several approaches daily for 10-15 minutes.
• Resting during long periods of pregnancy is most useful on the left side.

Wearing a bandage, compression stockings

• A properly fitted band keeps the growing pregnant belly in the correct position, which reduces the risk of edema.
• Wearing compression golfs, stockings or tights will be useful if you are prone to varicose veins, which are often accompanied by edema. A phlebologist will help determine the required degree of compression.
• Wear the bandage and compression garments correctly while lying down.

The right shoes

The risk of swelling is greater when wearing unsuitable shoes. The right footwear: in size, has a stable heel with a height of 3 to 5 centimeters, stable. There are no straps that tighten the leg tightly.

Getting rid of bad habits

Bad habits during pregnancy can not only harm the health of the baby, but also provoke the appearance of edema.
Nicotine damages all organs and systems human body... The closest relationship between smoking and varicose veins, which, in turn, contributes to the development of edema.

Oddly enough, one of the causes of edema is dehydration. The latter is a frequent companion to alcohol abuse.

Body care

• In the care of swollen or varicose legs, it will not be superfluous to use specialized cosmetics.
• Swelling of the legs during pregnancy can be relieved by foot baths with sea salt. To carry them out, as much salt water is poured into the container, with a temperature not higher than 37-38 degrees, as needed to completely immerse the swollen leg area. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes. For skin diseases or diabetes, salt baths are prohibited.

• Swelling of the legs during pregnancy, what to do? Massage! It is a pleasant and effective way to improve blood circulation. It is necessary to massage the legs in the direction from the feet to the thighs. For the procedure, you can use both special massagers, a washcloth, and just hands.

Pathological edema during pregnancy, what to do

Do not panic and undergo a medical examination. Based on the results of the tests, the doctor will determine the need and tactics for drug treatment of edema.

Medication for edema

The attitude to puffiness among doctors in the CIS countries differs from the point of view adopted in Europe and America. Foreign doctors prefer to observe, intervening only in situations that really threaten the health of a woman and her unborn child. Domestic doctors often prefer to play it safe and, depending on the results of the examination, prescribe diuretics, vasoconstrictors, antispasmodics and sedatives.

• To normalize kidney function, complex herbal remedies are usually prescribed, such as "Kanefron" or "Cyston" in tablet form, paste "Fitolysin". They should be used with caution: the annotations contain rather long lists side effects... But these drugs relieve renal edema well during pregnancy, reviews of future and mature mothers are confirmation of this.

• To strengthen blood vessels, doctors prescribe magnesium preparations, vitamin E, lipoic acid, and against vasospasm - "No-Shpu".
• Treatment of edema with gestosis is carried out in a hospital setting. The standard measure is an infusion of magnesia, which relieves swelling, normalizes blood pressure, relaxes blood vessels and muscle muscles. The droppers of drugs based on pentoxifylline improve blood microcirculation.
  It is strictly forbidden to use diuretics with suspicion of gestosis!
• Nose swelling during pregnancy cannot be treated with the usual vasoconstrictor drops and sprays. But it is also impossible to stay idle: due to the deterioration of nasal breathing, the fetus may receive less oxygen. Doctors recommend to deal with the "runny nose of pregnant women" by washing the nasal cavity with saline or sea salt solution.

How to get rid of edema during pregnancy, folk remedies

Traditional medicine is replete with anti-edema remedies. But they can be used only as directed by a doctor, and even then not all. The fact is that some components of the popular renal charges can cause the tone of the uterus and even provoke an abortion.

• Of the safest folk remedies it is possible to isolate a decoction of lingonberry leaves, which has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, immunostimulating, choleretic, astringent and mild diuretic effects.

Output

Most edema in pregnant women is harmless and does not require treatment. But, at times, swelling can signal the development or exacerbation of diseases and conditions dangerous for the mother and fetus.

Self-medication of pathological edema can be extremely dangerous, only a doctor should decide how to remove edema during pregnancy, based on the results of the examination.

Before answering this question, you need to find out several very important points. First, do you really have swelling? Second, what is their reason. And only after receiving answers to them - you can think about treatment.

Quite a common occurrence. Especially in the second half of pregnancy. With edema, a woman feels heaviness in, hands can go numb, shoes become tight and the rings on her fingers are pressed. Usually, in edematous places, when pressed, a fossa remains, which disappears very slowly. The skin of the body (in edematous areas) becomes smooth and pale.

The causes of edema in a pregnant woman are different. The growing uterus is the main one. She presses with her weight, their large vessels, which lead to the limbs. As a result, venous outflow from the legs becomes more difficult. Due to pressure on the vessels of the kidneys, their function is disrupted, and the excretion of fluid from the body slows down. Such edema is called physiological. For a pregnant woman and her baby, they are not dangerous. Usually, the swelling is observed only on the legs and feet, and disappears after rest.

But there are more serious causes of edema in a pregnant woman. They can be associated with impaired kidney and heart function. If the edema extends not only to the limbs, but also to other parts of the body, if they do not disappear in the morning, it becomes difficult for a woman to breathe, blood pressure rises, a protein is found in the urine analysis - you should consult a doctor, undergo prescribed studies, find out the true cause of the swelling and only after that start serious treatment. There is a degree of edema that is treated only in a hospital. In any case, you must understand that self-medication in this matter is strictly prohibited!

Foreign doctors do not recommend treating physiological edema. Domestic medicine is more careful in this matter. Our obstetricians say that already the first stages of edema must be treated without fail, since in 90% of cases in pregnant women, following mild edema, protein rises and appears in the urine. And these are already symptoms that are dangerous for both the mother and her child.

There are several treatments for edema during pregnancy:

• drug treatment of edema;
• ethnoscience;
• diet.

The most common treatment for edema is diet. Its peculiarity is only that fried, smoked and salted foods should be excluded from the diet. During the day, it is allowed to consume no more than 8 grams of salt. After all, it is she who retains fluid in the body. Also, following a diet for edema, a pregnant woman should monitor fluid intake. Experts recommend drinking no more than 1 liter of water per day.

Traditional medicine for the treatment of edema offers a variety of tinctures. Lingonberry leaf, bearberry leaf, horsetail, bear ears - these herbs have a weak diuretic properties. Usually, 1 glass of herbal infusion is drunk during the day. The course of treatment is up to 1 month. But even these "light" drugs can only be used as directed by a doctor. After all, they are contraindicated. They can be prescribed only in extreme cases and for a short time. These drugs include: Cyston, Kanefron, Fitolysin. All these drugs have a diuretic, antiseptic, antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effect, improve kidney function. But these drugs have a lot of contraindications and side effects. They adversely affect the fetus. Therefore, in any case, do not take them without a doctor's prescription.

When treating edema, it is important to strengthen the vascular system, improve uteroplacental blood flow. This will prevent fluid from seeping from the vessels into the tissue, which means that swelling cannot form. Therefore, very often doctors prescribe Magne B6, Magnerot, lipoic acid.

However, the treatment of edema must first of all begin with the correct daily regimen. A night's sleep of at least 9 hours, a long stay in the fresh air, walking in comfortable shoes, daily gymnastics, healthy eating - all this should become the norm in your life.

For the prevention and treatment of edema, it is recommended to take at least once a day for 5-10 minutes. In this position, the uterus ceases to press on large vessels and ureters. This improves the blood supply to the uterus, placenta, and fluid from the kidneys "flows" into the bladder.

Also, at every opportunity, raise your legs higher. And try to rest on your side. This will help your kidneys work without interruption, and it will also increase blood flow to the placenta.

Health to you!

Especially for - Tanya Kivezhdiy

Puffiness during the period of bearing a baby is a common occurrence. That is why many women do not attach importance to it, attributing it to weight gain. And in vain! Swelling can signal trouble in the mother's body, and this, in turn, is displayed on the baby. The cause of external edema is a violation of water-salt metabolism, but with internal edema the situation is different. So, let's find out in detail about this.

Features of internal edema

They are fraught with greater danger than external ones. After all, the latter are visible to the naked eye. These are swelling of the ankles and nose, marks on the feet after removing shoes and socks. When pressed, a fingerprint remains on the skin. Usually these signs are visible in the evening, and in the morning they do not leave a trace. But hidden or internal edema is much more difficult to determine "by eye".

This is a condition when fluid accumulates in the tissues and internal organs of the expectant mother. The main sign of latent edema when carrying a baby is uneven weight gain. Recall that, on average, a future mom in the third trimester should gain 300 grams per week. If this figure is higher, then it should be alarming.

In general, during pregnancy, a woman should add 10-12 kilograms. This is the weight of the placenta, the unborn child itself, enlarged breasts, adipose tissue. And when, in the eighth or ninth month of the term, the weight gain of the expectant mother exceeds 15 kilograms, then this is a clear cause for alarm.

Diagnosis of internal edema

Doctors call them pasty. In such cases, the systematic observation of the woman's weight helps, because the pathology gives itself out as uneven, sharp jumps in weight.

It is much easier for doctors to diagnose pasty edema. Diuresis helps them in this. Puffiness is always associated with fluid retention in the body. It is she who is monitored by diuresis - the daily measurement of fluid intake and excretion. Normally, a woman with urine excretes up to 75% of all liquid drunk. The remaining 25% is excreted in sweat and through respiration. If, according to the results of diuresis, obvious deviations from the norms are traced, then the woman probably has latent edema. Such a diagnostic study is carried out for three days.

Another method for detecting such a pathology is measuring the diameter of the ankle. If it increases by more than one centimeter, then this is also a symptom of pasty edema.

Blister test is another way to diagnose pathology. The expectant mother is injected with saline subcutaneously. A blister that occurs at the injection site usually resolves within an hour. If there is a pasty edema of the tissues, then the resorption will be very slow. The more time it takes for this, the more serious the pathology.

What to do if pasty edema is found?

In such cases, doctors advise women to adhere to these rules:

1. Do not reduce the amount of fluid consumed per day too much. Women should drink up to one and a half liters of juices, tea, compote, fruit drinks.
2. Be sure to limit your daily salt intake. On the day, the norm for edema is 1.5 grams.
3. Several times a day you need to take a position lying on your back with your legs raised above the body.
4. Avoid standing and sitting for long periods.
5. A dairy-vegetable diet helps to cope with hidden edema. You can make one day a week unloading (for example, apple, cottage cheese, oatmeal).
6. Twice a day, you need to take a knee-elbow position for 10-15 minutes to reduce the load on the kidneys.
7. Drink drinks with a slight diuretic effect in the form of cranberry juice.
8. Be sure to inform your obstetrician-gynecologist about suspicions of latent edema.

The best way to avoid pathology is to prevent it. Therefore, all of the above recommendations can be applied already in the second trimester, without waiting for signs of internal edema to appear. At any stage of pregnancy, a woman should move: walking, doing, yoga, swimming. Physical activity should be regular and feasible. An expectant mother needs to listen to her well-being. And she should also ask how her mother felt in the last months of pregnancy: if she had swelling, then she must be prepared for the scenario to repeat itself.

Especially for - Maria Dulina