Almost all expectant mothers know that pregnancy is often accompanied by edema. Everyone also knows that outside of pregnancy, edema is a symptom of some disease, most often of cardiovascular or renal origin. But what does it mean if pregnant women have them? Is this a normal option or a pathology that requires treatment?
How do you know if you have swelling? Answer a few questions.
Of course, obvious swelling will be noticed not only by the doctor, but also by you. But there are also hidden edema, or tissue pastiness (the so-called fluid retention in the body), which are not noticeable. They can only be suspected if the expectant mother experiences a large or uneven weight gain.
Most often, edema in healthy pregnant women who do not have cardiovascular or renal pathology appears in the second half of pregnancy.
Usually the legs swell first, then swelling of the arms, abdomen, and face may occur. The latter is especially upsetting for expectant mothers. After all, the eyelids swell the most on the face. This is due to the anatomical features of this area. There is loose fiber located there, which, like a sponge, is ready to retain liquid.
In the morning, swelling in the legs is less noticeable, because at night the fluid spreads evenly throughout the body. But during the day, when you spend more time on your feet, the fluid goes down, accumulating mainly in the ankles, on the back of the feet, on the shins, where the pressure of a finger can cause a slowly leveling hole. Skin with edema is pale, tense and smooth.
In addition to a doctor's examination, what methods are used for diagnosis?
Dynamic weighing
Possible hidden edema is indicated by excessive (more than 300 g per week) or uneven weight gain of the expectant mother.
Compare the amount of fluid drunk and urine excreted (per day). Normally, a healthy person excretes ¾ of the fluid he drinks. Let's say if you drank 1000-1200 ml of liquid per day (including soups and tea-coffee), at least 750-900 ml should be excreted in the urine. The remaining quarter of the fluid is released in the form of sweat and also during breathing.
Dynamic measurement of leg circumference at one level
An increase in the circumference of the ankle joint by 1 cm or more within a week indicates fluid retention in the body.
0.2 ml of saline solution is injected intradermally into the area of the inner surface of the forearm with a thin needle. A blister forms, which normally resolves within one hour in a healthy person. The more “edematous readiness” the body has, the faster the blister is absorbed.
Foreign doctors tend to consider edema in pregnancy a physiological phenomenon that does not require treatment. True, with the caveat that edema will not be accompanied by protein in the urine and high blood pressure.
Russian obstetricians believe that edema needs to be treated, since dropsy in pregnancy is the first stage of gestosis and in 90% of cases, after edema, protein in the urine and high blood pressure appear. Timely treatment can prevent the transition of dropsy to subsequent stages of gestosis.
In the treatment of dropsy in pregnancy, priority is given to a diet with limited salt and liquid drunk per day.
Almost every pregnant woman knows what edema is and how to deal with it. But not everyone thinks about the nature of this phenomenon. Meanwhile, the formation of edema can be either a completely harmless physiological process or a symptom of a serious pathology.
In most cases, edema in pregnant women is physiological and does not harm either the expectant mother or her baby. To reduce them, it is enough to follow a simple diet and at the end of the day lie down with your legs in an elevated position. More dangerous is the swelling that accompanies gestosis - late toxicosis. Here, the consequences of inattention to one’s health can be extremely severe:
In severe forms of gestosis, both mother and child suffer. Sometimes doctors decide to induce premature labor.
Swelling can also signal other diseases:
During pregnancy, the tissues of the female body intensively accumulate water necessary for the normal development of the fetus and the stable occurrence of important physiological processes. Individual pregnancy management allows you to notice in time the period when there is too much fluid.
The process of edema formation occurs gradually. Regardless of the cause, doctors define 4 stages in it:
Edema can also be hidden, when it is impossible to recognize it visually. In this case, the following methods are used for diagnosis:
Identifying the cause and treating edema during pregnancy is a matter for the doctor. Most of our and foreign experts believe that slight physiological swelling of the legs and feet does not require special treatment. It is enough to follow a certain diet and rest, keeping your legs elevated. But some gynecologists believe that even the initial manifestations should not be ignored. A pregnant woman should listen to the doctor she is seeing.
To remove swelling, the hospital may recommend:
When the situation requires medical intervention, it is not enough to know how to treat and how to relieve swelling during pregnancy. It is important to additionally select medications that improve blood flow in the placenta in order to prevent fetal hypoxia. The doctor decides what medications and in what dosages should be taken based on the results of an examination of the pregnant patient.
When asked what to do if swelling appears, the doctor will definitely say: follow a diet. The diet must be balanced in such a way that salt consumption is reduced. This substance promotes water retention in tissues and should therefore be avoided whenever possible. Drinking is limited to 1000 ml per day for the entire treatment period. Here are some more recommendations:
It is worth asking your doctor for help in planning your diet. Such an easy diet will benefit both mother and baby.
There are a lot of folk recipes, but none of them can be called universal. For one woman, the herb helps relieve headaches during pregnancy and get rid of swelling, while for another it worsens the condition. Each pregnancy proceeds differently, so it is better to agree on the chosen recipe with a specialist.
You can reduce swelling outside the hospital in the following ways:
In case of severe pathologies of the heart or kidneys, a sharp deterioration may occur in a pregnant woman. In order not to put the child’s health at risk, each action must be agreed upon with the attending physician.
Swelling is also an aesthetic problem; numerous photos of swollen ankles are proof of this. To prevent this condition or reduce the risk of its occurrence, it is necessary to take preventive measures:
Following these simple recommendations will help a woman endure pregnancy without the formation of severe edema. If, despite all the measures taken, fluid still accumulates in excess, you need to inform your gynecologist about this.
The answer to the question whether it is possible to go on a diet during pregnancy depends on what goal the girl is pursuing. The growth of the child inside her will in any case entail an increase in weight. The whole question is how many kilograms does the expectant mother gain?
Excess weight, when a girl gains more than 15–20 kilograms during pregnancy, can negatively affect both pregnancy and have consequences during childbirth.
Therefore, the expectant mother should monitor her daily diet, keep her body in shape and follow the recommendations of the gynecologist. Her well-being, as well as the growth and development of the baby, depend on her nutrition. A balanced diet allows you to reduce toxicosis in the early stages, avoid problems with the gastrointestinal tract and quickly get your body in shape after childbirth. But we will talk separately about what diet girls with diabetes, pyelonephritis, constipation and edema can follow during pregnancy.
A salt-free diet for pregnant women is prescribed in case of edema, as well as cramps in the calf muscles. It consists in the fact that for a certain period from 2 to 14 days the girl completely abandons salt in her diet. Most often, such a diet is prescribed in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, when edema most worries the expectant mother. The attending physician should calculate how many days it is worth sticking to such a diet and help you create an approximate menu.
A salt-free diet during pregnancy can significantly reduce swelling, improve the general condition of the pregnant woman and metabolism by removing excess moisture from the body.
Excess salt not only retains moisture in the body, but also increases the load on the girl’s heart and kidneys.
The absence of salt in food for some time will not harm you and your child, the main thing is to make the menu correctly.
Gestational diabetes (diabetes mellitus in pregnant women, which is first recognized in pregnant women and usually goes away after childbirth) requires a special menu. If a girl does not take insulin, she must monitor her diet very carefully. The diet for GDM in pregnant women includes avoiding easily digestible carbohydrates: confectionery, sweets, preserves, jams, sweet soft drinks, white bread.
Swelling during pregnancy is a fairly common thing; they are not dangerous, but they cause a lot of inconvenience for the expectant mother. To avoid swelling of the legs and arms, especially in the third trimester, you should think through your menu.
The diet for edema during pregnancy is based on excluding salty, fatty and canned foods from the diet.
If swelling is large, the doctor may prescribe a salt-free diet for a while. We already talked about it a little earlier.
It is worth paying special attention to the fact that the diet for pregnant women with edema does not limit fluid intake.
It has been proven that reducing water intake does not significantly affect edema.
Drink pure or mineral water, avoid sweet and carbonated drinks that provoke thirst. Try to drink in small sips to quench your thirst faster. Watermelons, apples, parsley and citrus fruits will support the functioning of the urinary system and kidneys.
A diet for pyelonephritis for pregnant women involves excluding from the diet fatty, smoked, sour and spicy foods, as well as those foods that have a diuretic effect. Remove legumes, cucumbers, watermelons, garlic and onions, radishes, spinach, and sorrel from your diet. Limit your consumption of coffee and tea, as well as sweet confectionery.
An expectant mother with pyelonephritis is allowed vegetables and fruits with the exception of those listed above, lean meats and fish, steamed or oven-baked, dairy products, soups with vegetable broth, weak tea with milk and berry fruit drinks.
More than 70% of girls experience constipation during pregnancy. This unpleasant condition can not only spoil the mood of the expectant mother, but also harm the body if feces remain in the intestines for a long time. A diet for constipation for pregnant women becomes the optimal solution to the problem.
Diuretics for swelling of the legs and other parts of the body, produced in the form of tablets or solutions, are available in almost every home medicine cabinet. Their main purpose is to normalize the acid-base balance of the body, due to their ability to free tissues from unnecessary acids and alkalis.
Drugs with a diuretic effect are indicated not only for eliminating fluid stagnation in the extremities. They are prescribed for poisoning, injuries, and hypertension. However, before you start taking any medication, you must carefully study the instructions for use, discuss your actions with your doctor, and also become familiar with the list of indications. Otherwise, there is a risk that the patient’s condition will only worsen if the drug is chosen incorrectly.
Scheme of action of diuretics
First of all, it is worth understanding for yourself that all diuretics for swelling of the legs and other parts of the body, or as they are also called - diuretics, are necessary to remove excess water, chemical compounds and salts that can accumulate on the walls of blood vessels and tissues. They are prescribed for many pathological processes, so the list is constantly growing, and the products themselves are available for free sale in any pharmacy.
When stagnation (edema) forms, liquid rich in sodium ions accumulates in the tissues of subcutaneous fat. Excess fluid can also be in the vascular bed, which has a bad effect on the functioning of the kidneys, liver and heart, and blood circulation is impaired. Against this background, chronic and other pathologies may develop or progress, so it is important to stabilize the body’s water-salt balance in a timely manner.
If we briefly consider the classification of funds, we can distinguish two groups:
In order to correctly select a diuretic drug for a patient, doctors use a basic classification of drugs, which divides them according to their strength. If a person has extremely severe swelling, regardless of origin, in combination with high blood pressure, then “shock” treatment with potent or ceiling diuretics is necessary: Furosemide, Ethacrynic acid, Bumetanide, Torasemide or Piretanide. Prescription of drugs in this group is made only when necessary, most often one time is enough, course therapy is not prescribed.
Against the background of renal and heart failure, a person may develop edema syndrome. The same thing happens with arterial hypertension, glaucoma or diabetes insipidus. In this case, diuretic tablets for edema will be only part of the treatment complex: Dichlorothiazide, Hypothiazide, Indapamide, Clopamide, Chlorthalidone. They are prescribed in courses and taken for a long time, and the drugs themselves have an average diuretic effect.
To prevent the loss of potassium ions, in combination with stronger diuretics (they rid the body of calcium), patients are advised to take potassium-sparing drugs: Triamterene, Amiloride, Spironolactone. They have a weak effect.
In case of acute fluid retention in the body, when the patient has cerebral edema, pulmonary edema, glaucoma, peritonitis, shock or sepsis, as well as for those who have problems with urine formation, osmotic diuretics are prescribed if necessary to remove harmful substances, if the patient is poisoned. These are quite powerful agents and are indicated only as part of a complex treatment: Mannitol, Urea, Glycerin, Potassium acetate.
All diuretics that have a strong and moderate diuretic effect, including potassium-sparing ones, are combined into one group - saluretics. They are able to remove a sufficient amount of salts such as sodium and potassium from the patient’s body, and also get rid of excess chlorine, carbonate and phosphates.
With the development of chronic edema, regardless of its location on the body, the doctor may decide on the need to prescribe a drug that produces a strong diuretic effect:
The doctor will definitely tell you which regimen is best to take these medications. However, in most cases, courses should be short but frequent. This is due to the fact that in the absence of a break, the patient’s body quickly adapts to taking the drugs, which will significantly reduce the therapeutic effect. Depending on the degree of edema, it is recommended to take the drug in a volume of 5 to 20 milligrams once a day until congestion is completely eliminated. This is followed by a break of 14–28 days, and another repetition of the course.
If there is no need to use strong diuretics, and the patient has chronic edema, then one of the following moderate-strength diuretics may be prescribed:
Any of these drugs should be taken in a daily dosage of 25 milligrams, once. But, unlike strong drugs, the course of therapy will be long, without the need to take a break.
If swelling is detected, which has arisen against the background of a disorder of certain functions, or mild pathological processes, potassium-sparing diuretics for edema are indicated in therapy: Spironolactone, Triamterene or Amiloride. You need to take 200 milligrams of the medicine daily, in two or three doses. The duration of therapy, depending on the patient’s condition, is from 14 to 21 days. If repeated treatment is required, you need to take a break for two weeks.
A diuretic belongs to the group of strong diuretics. After the patient has taken the medicine, the desired effect will begin after 20 minutes and will not stop for 5 hours. In most cases, doctors prescribe the drug if necessary to stop a hypertensive crisis in a patient. However, the instructions for use indicate that the drug is effective for heart failure, edema of the brain and lungs, and poisoning with various substances of chemical activity. Also, Furosemide, according to medical indications, can be prescribed to eliminate toxicosis in pregnant women in the later stages.
It is not surprising that the drug also has contraindications, among which the main place is occupied by the first trimester of pregnancy. Also, the medicine is not suitable for patients who have renal failure, hypoglycemia, or obstruction of the urinary tract. As for the cost, it is critically low, ranging from 30 rubles per pack of tablets or 20 rubles per pack of ampoules.
The diuretic Furosemide is a fast-acting diuretic, but due to the fact that it is modified at the biological level while in the kidneys, it cannot be used by all people who experience swelling. In this case, the best analogue can be called Torasemide, because it can be used by patients with kidney pathologies. The biotransformation of this medicine occurs in the liver. And naturally, diseases of this organ are direct contraindications to treatment with Torasemide.
The diuretic effect occurs 15 minutes after taking the medicine and lasts for four hours. Multiple studies indicate that the drug perfectly removes excess water and salts from the body, but the loss of potassium ions is quite low, due to blocking the hormone aldosterone. The price of the product in pharmacies starts from 100 rubles per package.
A diuretic, the distinctive feature of which is the ability to retain potassium and magnesium in the body, but it also removes chlorine and sodium well. The drug is weak, so after taking it, until the diuretic effect begins, it may take from two to five days.
Spironolactone, due to its mild action, is well tolerated and is not prohibited for people with hypertension and chronic heart failure, and is also acceptable during the second and third trimester of pregnancy if a woman has swelling of the lower limb.
Contraindications include diabetes mellitus, renal and liver failure, anuria, and the first trimester of pregnancy. The cost of the product is within 50 rubles.
In most cases, when swelling of the legs, arms and other parts of the body is detected, doctors diagnose various pathologies of the cardiovascular system in patients. One of the most common diagnoses is heart failure, in which there is severe fluid retention in the body. Such an edematous condition must be treated, otherwise blood stagnation in the lungs and their swelling may occur. Against this background, blood pressure drops sharply to 90, which threatens a person’s life.
If heart failure is only in its infancy, then mild diuretics (thiazide or thiazide-like) can be prescribed to eliminate the edema syndrome. In the absence of the proper therapeutic effect, expressed in the persistence of edema of the extremities, one will have to resort to more powerful loop diuretics, which can eliminate edema even in patients who suffer from renal failure. In order for the body not to get used to the product used, it must be changed regularly every 2 months.
It is very important that only an experienced specialist selects a diuretic. A large assortment of drugs, and the unknown cause of fluid stagnation in the body, do not allow you to choose a medicine yourself. As an additional measure, you can resort to the use of natural diuretic herbs, plants and products. However, it should be remembered that some of them can provoke allergic reactions, so before starting therapy you should consult a doctor and also conduct an individual sensitivity test.
Almost every pregnant woman is aware that the period of waiting for a child is accompanied by swelling of the arms, legs, face and other parts of the body. Statistics say that only 20% of women do not face such trouble at this time. During the normal course of pregnancy, about 7 liters of additional fluid accumulates in the body of the expectant mother, which is distributed rather unevenly: about 5-6 liters are retained outside the tissues, the rest is in the tissues of the body. In recent weeks, about 3 liters of fluid accumulates in the form of amniotic fluid in the placenta and the baby’s body.
The cause of swelling can be both normal physiological processes and the manifestation of such a complication during pregnancy as late toxicosis - gestosis. In order to determine the cause of increased fluid accumulation in the extremities, it is necessary to consult with a gynecologist who “accompanies” the woman during pregnancy.
What to do when your legs swell during pregnancy, because folk remedies should be used with great caution, and it is advisable to abandon them altogether and engage in prevention. Only a doctor should prescribe a diuretic for edema during pregnancy, because self-medication can be dangerous for both the expectant mother and the baby.
There are a number of tips to help a pregnant woman cope with the appearance of edema:
If the arms and legs swell, and no protein was found in the urine, and the pregnant woman’s blood pressure is within normal limits, then most likely the reasons lie in slower blood circulation in the extremities. This usually occurs in the second half of pregnancy, after about 30 weeks. When a woman does not control her diet and consumes a large amount of salt and then liquid, the consequence is quite obvious - mild or severe swelling that goes away after a night's rest, but returns during the day. This is not considered a dangerous condition, but it still causes the pregnant woman some discomfort, and therefore requires certain actions to adjust the diet and other preventive actions.
There are 4 stages of swelling:
There are also hidden swellings that cannot be noticed by the appearance of a pregnant woman. A doctor may suspect them when a woman experiences a sharp jump in weight gain, while her usual diet has not changed much.
Swelling of the legs is especially common among pregnant women who suffer from cardiovascular diseases, kidney problems or varicose veins. In this case, the woman’s condition must be monitored by a specialist.
When this problem occurs due to gestosis, the fluid first accumulates in the area of the feet, gradually rising up to the face. Sometimes the first manifestations of late toxicosis occur in the form of weight gain of more than 350 grams per week. When swelling begins to appear throughout the body, we can conclude that dropsy in pregnancy has occurred. If protein in the urine and high blood pressure are added to this, then treatment of this condition occurs in a hospital setting. In mild cases, a woman can simply be prescribed a number of medications and sent home, but she will need to see a doctor much more often than usual.
While expecting a baby, many expectant parents try to fill their lives with additional bright emotions and impressions. They attend special courses, read useful information, and choose a dowry for their baby. But, unfortunately, sometimes a woman is overtaken by some complications. This does not mean that you need to worry and panic, expecting trouble. Firstly, not everyone has pathologies, and secondly, if you consult a supervising doctor in a timely manner, you can avoid many problems. For example, swelling of the legs, and sometimes other parts of the body, is familiar to a large number of expectant mothers.
A significant proportion of pregnant women experience a condition such as swelling of the legs. But the reasons that cause swelling are different.
Important! Preeclampsia is a dangerous condition that is very important to recognize early. With gestosis, not only visible parts of the body swell, but also internal organs, including the placenta. This condition requires immediate specialist intervention. This is why edema is of utmost diagnostic importance.
There are many reasons for the appearance of edema, so it is impossible to immediately make a clear conclusion whether in each specific case they are a variant of the norm or require a more serious examination.
Since a large number of expectant mothers face this condition, doctors at every appointment pay attention to the presence of edema in the pregnant woman, so that if something happens, they can take action in time.
But a woman should know what she herself can notice in herself in order to suspect edema:
The doctor will also pay attention to the weight of the pregnant woman, because a sharp increase in weight is a sign of edema. To exclude gestosis, the doctor pays attention to blood pressure and urine test results. High blood pressure as well as the presence of protein in the urine are symptoms of gestosis.
Also, to diagnose edema, the doctor can issue a referral for an ultrasound and additional tests.
If the expectant mother is diagnosed with gestosis, the doctor will immediately prescribe her special therapy, and in more serious cases, hospital treatment may be necessary.
Important! If, in the presence of such a diagnosis, the doctor issues a referral for treatment in a hospital, then you should not refuse! Preeclampsia can cause eclampsia, which can be fatal for mother and baby. Therefore, the supervision of qualified medical personnel plays a key role for a favorable pregnancy outcome!
The doctor will prescribe medications to reduce blood pressure and cramps and improve blood circulation. Thanks to this therapy, pregnancy is extended until the baby is ready to be born. Most often, women with this diagnosis are recommended to give birth by cesarean section.
There are several methods that will help avoid swelling or reduce its manifestations.
1. Exercise.
During classes for pregnant women, the instructor must include in the program exercises aimed at preventing edema. It is useful to lie down on the floor in the evening, raise your legs up, rest them against the wall and spend about 10 minutes in this position. A foot massage wouldn't hurt either.
2. Special diet.
Correction of nutrition is the basis for the prevention of edema. Expectant mothers should remember the following recommendations:
3. Compliance with drinking regime:
4. Taking vitamins.
The doctor may prescribe vitamins that will help strengthen blood vessels.
5. Use of diuretics.
Sometimes doctors prescribe diuretics or herbal remedies. You can take them only after consultation with a gynecologist! Such drugs are prescribed only for severe swelling for a limited period.
6. General recommendations:
In any case, if swelling occurs, it is best to consult a doctor. Swelling is not always a sign of pathology, and a small correction of your lifestyle will be enough. But in some cases, it is better to play it safe in order to avoid complications and safely carry and give birth to the baby.
Important! If swelling appears in the first half of pregnancy, then this is a reason for immediate consultation with specialists.
A desired and long-awaited pregnancy is the best gift for any woman. The long forty weeks of waiting for a little guest are filled with joyful chores and pleasant moments of the first movement, the first ultrasound, the choice of things and a crib. Unfortunately, in addition to positive emotions, the expectant mother faces some unpleasant moments: nausea, lack of appetite, bowel movements and, of course, swelling.
Such an unpleasant phenomenon as pastiness and swelling of the arms and legs occurs during different periods of pregnancy and is interpreted differently by obstetricians and gynecologists.
In the first half of pregnancy (up to 20 weeks), edema in pregnant women can be caused by:
After 20 weeks of pregnancy, the appearance of edema and its increase should concern the pregnant woman and her doctor. Such swelling can be a signal for the onset of the most serious complication of pregnancy - gestosis. In both the first and second cases, competent therapy is necessary, which is impossible without the prescription of diuretics.
Information A diuretic (diuretic) is a substance of various chemical structures that inhibits the reabsorption (reabsorption) of water and salts in the kidney tubules and increases their excretion in the urine, as well as increasing the rate of urine formation.
In modern pharmacotherapy, there are thousands of diuretic drugs, from the simplest to the most complex.
Before starting to take any diuretic, a pregnant woman must consult with her doctor, because many popular diuretics can harm the unborn child if used regularly.
There is a huge arsenal of “grandmother’s” and folk remedies that are successfully used by pregnant women.
Not only herbal preparations, but also some synthetic drugs are allowed for use in pregnant women.
In addition to these one-component herbal infusions, you can use ready-made medicines:
Additionally, it is important to remember that almost all diuretics, along with fluid, remove important salts and minerals from the body.
Therefore, when using diuretics, it is important to saturate your diet with foods rich in potassium and magnesium:
In addition, you can use magnesium and potassium complexes in tablets (Panangin, Asparkam).
There is a list of drugs that are strictly prohibited for pregnant women. Drugs on this list can cause malformations in the fetus, deterioration of fetal-uterine blood flow and adverse reactions in the mother.
The expectant mother must remember that the best treatment is prevention. Preparation for pregnancy and correct behavior during its course are important:
Following these simple and pleasant rules will help get rid of swelling and other unpleasant moments of pregnancy, leaving the expectant mother with only happy 9 months.