Toxicosis in early pregnancy

Toxicosis in early pregnancy begins to manifest itself within the first three months.

The condition of a pregnant woman is accompanied by decreased appetite, nausea (usually in the morning), vomiting, excessive salivation, decreased blood pressure, and a strong reaction to various odors. As you can see, toxicosis is not only nausea and vomiting, as many people mistakenly assume. In addition, toxicosis is not a disease, it is a woman's condition caused by certain changes in her body at the beginning of pregnancy.

Usually women suffer from toxicosis during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, usually the first symptoms of toxicosis begin to appear from the 5-6th week. But sometimes there are cases when toxicosis developed in the first days of a delay in menstruation, in some cases even earlier - already in the first week of conception. Some women claim that they felt sick the next morning after unprotected sex, but experts are skeptical about such statements. As doctors suggest, in this case, a psychological factor can play a decisive role, when a woman experiences unprotected intercourse so much that she develops all the signs of pregnancy, in addition, general malaise due to pressure surges or poisoning, which coincided with unprotected intercourse, can cause morning sickness.

Most women experience toxicosis in the first three months of pregnancy. Rarely, there is a late form of toxicosis (in the last months of pregnancy), which poses a greater threat to a woman's health than the early form.

Toxicosis is a normal physiological condition of a woman at the beginning of pregnancy. If toxicosis is mild or moderate, then special treatment is not required. If a woman's condition is aggravated by frequent vomiting, severe weakness, significant weight loss, it is necessary to seek medical help.

The absence of toxicosis in the first weeks of pregnancy does not indicate any deviations in the development of pregnancy. It is a misconception that pregnancy must necessarily be accompanied by a constant feeling of nausea and vomiting in the morning.

The duration of this condition depends on the individual characteristics of the woman's body. Usually, toxicosis passes by the beginning of the second trimester. Toxicosis continues until the placenta is fully formed in the uterus, this happens approximately at 12 - 14 weeks. After this, the calmest period of pregnancy begins. At the end of the second - beginning of the third trimester, toxicosis can begin again, in this case it is called gestosis, then special treatment of the woman is required, since gestosis is much more dangerous than early toxicosis. Gestosis also differs in symptoms from toxicosis in the early stages (severe swelling, increased pressure, etc.). In rare cases, gestosis begins in the second trimester, which is most dangerous for both the mother and the fetus.

Causes of toxicosis in early pregnancy

Experts believe that toxicosis in early pregnancy is the result of the beginning of a change in the hormonal background in the woman's body. Such changes are extremely important for the normal course of pregnancy and the preservation of the fetus in the uterus. However, it has not yet been possible to establish the exact cause of such sometimes very severe discomfort in women during pregnancy. But experts know for sure that women with existing diseases of the digestive system, liver, thyroid gland, and smokers are more susceptible to toxicosis.

In various studies, toxicosis was also caused by chronic diseases, the young age of the pregnant woman, hereditary factors, and psychological unpreparedness to become a mother.

Some experts suggest that toxicosis is the embryo's defense against possible harmful habits of the mother (poor nutrition, smoking, etc.). Most people consider the occurrence of nausea, vomiting, and general malaise during pregnancy to be a completely normal process in a woman who is preparing to become a mother. However, such a condition can threaten the health of the woman and her child. There is nothing to worry about with mild toxicosis (slight irritability, drowsiness, etc.), but severe manifestations, which are accompanied by severe and frequent vomiting, which lead to the loss of a large amount of water and nutrients by the woman and a loss of strength, do not contribute to the normal development of the fetus at all.

It is considered normal if a pregnant woman feels nausea or vomiting approximately 2-3 times a day, mostly in the morning on an empty stomach. If the woman's condition does not worsen, she can eat properly, does not lose weight - then toxicosis can be considered a natural phenomenon that does not require correction.

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Symptoms of toxicosis in early pregnancy

Toxicosis in early pregnancy is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• mild or severe feeling of nausea;
• vomiting (rare or frequent and profuse);
• moderate to strong salivation;
• general weakness;
• feeling of depression;
• irritability;
• weight loss;
• constant drowsiness.

There are also rarer symptoms of toxicosis: liver atrophy, dermatoses, osteomalacia, bronchial asthma, etc.

Diagnosis of toxicosis in early pregnancy

Toxicosis in early pregnancy can be of varying severity. Sometimes toxicosis manifests itself only by increased salivation, a mild feeling of nausea, infrequent vomiting in the morning, in other cases the usual way of life is disrupted due to severe and frequent vomiting, when a woman cannot eat normally because of this, go outside, etc.

A woman can easily determine the severity of toxicosis on her own. Infrequent (once or twice a day) vomiting urges per day are considered quite normal and are considered mild toxicosis. In this case, it is necessary to determine the source that provokes vomiting (a certain smell, food, etc.) and, if possible, eliminate it. If vomiting occurs more than five times a day, and the woman loses a lot of weight, this is already a severe form of toxicosis and it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

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Treatment of toxicosis in early pregnancy

There are several treatment options for a woman who suffers from severe forms of toxicosis. However, not all of them are safe and not all of them lead to the desired result.

Doctors treat early pregnancy toxicosis with medications, there are more than twenty of them. Usually, in severe cases, No-shpa, microelements and vitamins are prescribed in the form of droppers - such treatment is relatively harmless for a pregnant woman. Other drugs are highly toxic and are used only in extreme cases when a woman's life is at risk. In the treatment of toxicosis, a comprehensive approach is used with the use of several drugs and necessarily in a hospital. But such treatment is not always effective. Timely treatment usually improves the woman's condition, but it happens that there is no improvement. Severe forms of toxicosis lead to dehydration, severe weight loss, the appearance of acetone in the urine, tachycardia, nervous system disorders (apathy, delirious states, etc.), yellowness of the skin. Usually, in such a condition, doctors recommend terminating the pregnancy, but such conditions in pregnant women are extremely rare.

Immunocytotherapy is becoming increasingly popular today. This treatment involves injecting the woman with the child's father's lymphocytes. Usually, the woman's health improves in about a day. This method requires mandatory hospitalization, as well as a thorough examination of the child's father for possible infections (hepatitis, HIV, Wasserman reaction, etc.), but there is still a risk of infection.

A completely safe method of treatment is homeopathy, which also shows an effective result. This type of treatment occurs with an individual selection of means, in addition, the treatment is aimed at the entire body of a woman. With homeopathy, the likelihood of overdose, side effects and addiction is practically non-existent.

Peppermint essential oil is good for relieving nausea. You can put one or two drops of peppermint oil on your pillow or a shawl placed at your head, which will help you avoid morning sickness. The smell of peppermint has a calming effect on the body, particularly on the stomach.

Ginger essential oil helps with sudden attacks of malaise. To cope with the approaching nausea, you need to drop a little oil on your hands, rub it lightly and inhale deeply several times. In case of vomiting, you can do steam inhalations with a few drops of this oil. As a rule, such methods help to successfully cope with mild or moderate toxicosis. Acupuncture, electrosleep, hypnosis, etc. are also used.

To combat toxicosis on your own, you can follow some recommendations:

• in the morning, before getting out of bed, you need to eat a few nuts, cookies;
• During the day you need to eat small portions, every 2-3 hours;
• Chewing (nuts, a piece of lemon, mint candies, tangerines, dried fruits) helps to overcome the feeling of nausea. Caraway seeds or regular chewing gum also help to eliminate the feeling of nausea;
• remove fried, sour, salty foods, chocolate, and foods that are difficult to digest from your menu;
• Vitamin B6 can reduce the feeling of nausea, so you need to diversify your diet with foods that contain a lot of this vitamin (beans, eggs, chicken, fish, avocado);
• Ginger is a good antiemetic. A piece of ginger root can be simply chewed or added to tea. Also, any other products that contain ginger (cookies with the addition of this root) will help eliminate the unpleasant feeling of nausea;
• you need to eat light and nutritious food - bread, fruit, porridge (preferably with water), etc., however, if you are haunted by a strong desire to eat something tasty, you do not need to deny yourself, but only within reasonable limits;
• after eating it is recommended to lie down (if you do not suffer from heartburn);
• in case of toxicosis, you need to eat warm or chilled food, and drinking a glass of water on an empty stomach will help overcome the feeling of nausea and general malaise;
• alkaline water without gas reduces the urge to vomit. Drinking large amounts of liquid (all you can drink) in small portions will help with dehydration in the case of frequent vomiting;
• In case of excessive salivation, rinsing the mouth with chamomile or sage infusion helps well. Infusions of valerian and mint help to relieve spasms and have a positive effect on the digestive and nervous systems;
• Frequent and prolonged exposure to fresh air helps to get rid of toxicosis, you need to ventilate the room you are in as often as possible, especially the kitchen.

Prevention of toxicosis in early pregnancy

Toxicosis in early pregnancy can be prevented (or at least slightly alleviated) with the help of some preventive methods. However, some doctors are sure that early toxicosis (to a mild degree) is useful for the woman and the child, as it helps to protect against harmful microorganisms and substances.

But in any case, if you are planning a pregnancy, you need to undergo a full examination of the body, treat chronic diseases, lose excess weight. You also need to give up existing bad habits (alcohol, smoking, unhealthy diet). Immediately before conceiving a child, you need to adjust your own diet - start eating more fruits, greens, sea fish, meat. You need to exclude carbonated drinks, smoked foods, canned food, seasonings (especially rich in sodium glutamate).

It is worth doing physical exercises that will help strengthen muscles and the cardiovascular system. Pilates, yoga, and gymnastics are good options. You can also visit a psychologist who will help eliminate the unpleasant internal state (anxiety about a changed figure, lifestyle, etc.).

If you are already experiencing early toxicosis, then to prevent morning sickness you can rub an oil mixture into the area above the navel (a teaspoon of any vegetable oil and a drop of ginger essential oil).

Toxicosis in early pregnancy is, unfortunately, a condition that most women experience. The exact causes and ways to eliminate this condition are unknown, doctors can only slightly alleviate the severe symptoms of toxicosis. There are several preventive measures that can prevent the development of a severe form of toxicosis, but usually everything depends on the general health of the woman, her lifestyle before pregnancy.