Causes and prevention of fainting during pregnancy
Fainting during pregnancy
Fainting during pregnancy is usually the result of a drop in blood pressure. A drop in blood pressure can be caused by hunger, stuffiness, hot baths, emotional instability, overwork, acute respiratory infections, or an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Pregnant women who have a tendency to a sharp drop in blood pressure should try, if possible, to avoid situations that can provoke such conditions.
Causes of fainting during pregnancy
A decrease in blood pressure during pregnancy is noted by every tenth woman. Hypotension is mainly associated with hormonal changes. Risk factors include low blood pressure in a woman before pregnancy. The increasing load on the cardiovascular system and an increase in the volume of circulating blood during pregnancy can cause pressure to drop below the critical level of 90/60 mm Hg. Art.
In the normal course of pregnancy, a decrease in blood pressure in the first and second trimesters is considered physiological; closer to childbirth, these indicators return to the figures that were considered the norm for a woman before pregnancy.
Slightly low blood pressure, which a woman does not feel and does not attach much importance to, can cause fainting during pregnancy, lead to oxygen starvation of the fetus, miscarriage or premature birth. Therefore, a sharp drop in pressure during pregnancy requires immediate medical attention, especially if the woman suffered from hypotension before pregnancy.
Treatment of fainting during pregnancy
In mild cases, fainting during pregnancy can be treated on an outpatient basis. In this case, the goal of therapy will not be to increase the pressure to the generally accepted norm, but to improve the quality of life of the pregnant woman. Rejection of bad habits, a healthy lifestyle helps to achieve good health.
The collection of medicinal plants, which may include St. John's wort, juniper, strawberry, wild rose, yarrow, chicory, birch, nettle, mint or currant, helps to raise the tone of blood vessels. You can try ready-made herbal dosage forms. It is recommended to take 15–20 drops of eleutherococcus extract, tincture of aralia, Chinese magnolia vine, ginseng during pregnancy. Three times a day, you can take 2 tablets of pantocrine or eleutherococcus. The course of treatment with herbal preparations is two weeks, after a two-week break, the course can be repeated.
With frequent fainting, treatment of pregnant women is carried out in a hospital: physiotherapy is prescribed using drugs that increase vascular tone, treatment is carried out in a pressure chamber.
Prevention of fainting during pregnancy
Preventive measures for frequent fainting include a balanced diet. The emphasis in medical nutrition is placed on a high content of protein foods and a varied diet, it is necessary to eat fractionally, in small portions. It is important to maintain a sleep and rest routine. For hypotonic patients, a night's sleep should last at least ten hours; during the day, a pregnant woman is advised to rest for about two hours. With hypotension, classes in the pool, cool showers, foot and hand contrast baths are useful.
A pregnant woman should also avoid situations that can provoke fainting.
Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist
Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".
