How to deal with toxemia

Many pregnant women are familiar with toxicosis. But why does it arise and, most importantly, how can we fight it?

The usual signs of poor health of the expectant mother at the very beginning of the waiting period of the child - nausea, weakness, drowsiness. Obstetricians-gynecologists call this condition an early toxicosis, which occurs in women in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. The future mother feels bad, becomes sluggish, irritable, she may have vomiting several times a day, sometimes there is increased salivation (up to 1.5 liters per day!). In the first months, a woman may even lose a little weight.

Early toxicosis affects not only the woman herself, this condition affects the development of the child. The fact is that with repeated vomiting the body is dehydrated, which means that the inflow of nutrients to the fetus is disrupted. But it is now the formation of the brain!

What is the cause of early toxicosis? Despite numerous studies, the causes of this phenomenon are still not known. Vomiting of pregnant women is associated with poisoning of the body with toxic products of metabolism. It is also believed that it can be associated with exposure to the mother's body of the products of the fetus. Perhaps a significant influence on the onset of early toxicosis is exerted by psychogenic factors (negative emotions, lack of sleep, fear of pregnancy and childbirth). An important role in the development of the disease is a violation of the relationship of the central nervous system and internal organs.

The list of hormones produced by the placenta includes placental lactogen. He is very active in metabolism (metabolism) - increases the mobilization of fatty acids and reduces the synthesis of proteins in the body of a woman. Thus, an increase in the supply of amino acids, going to the "construction" of children's tissues. As a result, the placenta and fetus begin to "manage" the metabolism of the mother's body, causing them to meet their needs. This leads to the fact that the body can not adapt to the "new position". Most often, the toxicosis of the first half of pregnancy occurs in women with chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, asthenic syndrome.

Need treatment?

In everyday life, early toxicosis is almost the norm: who, they say, from women during pregnancy is not sick? Do not calm yourself. If the so-called subjective symptoms of pregnancy - nausea, drooling, vomiting - intensify, need help from a doctor! Be sure to consult an obstetrician-gynecologist. Treatment of early toxicosis is carried out in a women's consultation. Usually, the therapy started in time allows you to quickly eliminate troubles. In the normal course of pregnancy, nausea and vomiting can be no more than 2-3 times a day in the morning, often on an empty stomach. However, the general condition of a woman does not deteriorate. As a rule, in most women by 12-13 weeks, nausea and vomiting cease.

If vomiting occurs more than three times a day, if the appetite decreases, taste and olfactory sensations change, if salivation reaches a liter a day, if the body weight decreases, this is an early toxicosis. There are toxicosis of mild, moderate and severe degree of flow. The degree of severity is determined by the combination of vomiting with disturbances in metabolic processes, changes in the functions of the most important organs and systems.

What to do with toxicosis? It is necessary to consult your doctor who will refer you to a clinical examination (general blood and urine test, biochemical tests) and prescribe a therapy. Treatment of pregnant women with toxicosis of mild degree can be performed on an outpatient basis, in more severe forms - in a hospital. Given the short period of pregnancy, doctors often use non-drug methods to treat physiotherapy, phyto-and aromatherapy, acupuncture, hypnosis to avoid harmful effects on the fetus.

An effective method of treating early toxicosis is immunocytotherapy. The method is that the pregnant woman in the forearm skin is injected with her husband's lymphocytes (blood cells). Before the immunocytotherapy, a man should be examined for infections (hepatitis B and C, HIV, syphilis). Improvement of the state of health of a pregnant woman occurs, usually after 24 hours.

Drug treatment for early toxicosis is complex. Used drugs that regulate the central nervous system and block the gag reflex, means for intravenous injection, replenish the loss of fluid, minerals and replace the usual diet. Complex therapy is continued until complete normalization of the general condition.

How dangerous is early toxicosis? With mild and moderate severity of the disease, the prognosis is usually favorable, but treatment is compulsory. Excessive vomiting of pregnant women makes it necessary to raise the question of whether to maintain pregnancy, since this condition threatens the health of a woman.

Other forms

All of us are used to associating with nausea and vomiting with toxicosis of the first half of pregnancy, but sometimes other manifestations are also encountered. Dermatoses (pruritus, eczema) occur at different stages of pregnancy and disappear together with it. Itching can restrict itself to a small area of ​​the skin or spread throughout the body, causing irritability and insomnia. In this case, it is always necessary to exclude other diseases accompanied by pruritus.

Benign jaundice of pregnant women (cholestatic hepatosis) in most cases develops in the second half of pregnancy, and in the early periods is rare. It is believed that the excess of sex hormones in the body of a woman during the period of expectation of the child causes increased bile formation. In this case, bile secretion is inhibited. This is a benign disease. But as a more serious disease can hide under the mask of benign jaundice, medical control is necessary.

In most cases, modern medical methods and tools help the expectant mother overcome all the troubles associated with early toxicosis. The main thing is not to doubt that these are temporary difficulties, and the day will come when all of them will end.