The following factors can also affect edema during pregnancy:

• Varicose disease
• Summer heat
• Standing for a long time
nine0003 Prolonged physical activity
• Low potassium diet
• High caffeine intake
• High sodium intake

Moderate swelling occurs during normal pregnancy, however, if you feel a sudden swelling of your hands and face, this may be a sign of preeclampsia.

Pregnancy and thrombosis

Severe swelling of the distal lower extremities may be due to thrombosis. In these cases of sudden swelling, it is important to see a doctor immediately. nine0014

What can I do to get rid of swelling during pregnancy?

Swelling during pregnancy can be reduced by eating high potassium foods such as bananas, dried apricots, prunes and by limiting caffeine.
Here are some more helpful tips for managing swelling during pregnancy:

• Avoid prolonged standing.
• Minimize your time outside in hot weather.
nine0003 Rest with your legs elevated.
• Wear comfortable shoes, avoiding high heels if possible.
• Wear special compression stockings or stockings.

Pregnancy Compression Stockings

• Avoid clothing that is tight around your wrists or ankles.
• Relax or take a dip in the pool.
• Use cold compresses on swollen areas.
• Drink water that stimulates the kidneys and helps reduce water retention. nine0004
• Minimize sodium (salt) intake and avoid adding salt to food.

Pregnancy Swelling Prevention

These simple guidelines will help reduce swelling during pregnancy and make this period more comfortable and safe.

Questions from patients about edema and pregnancy

What to do with swelling of the legs during pregnancy?

Edema during pregnancy is most often a physiological phenomenon, but often a sign of serious clinical situations. It is important to tell your doctor, a gynecologist, about the edema that bothers you. It makes sense to consult a phlebologist in order to exclude the pathology of the veins of the lower extremities. nine0014

How to deal with swelling during pregnancy?

Combating edema during pregnancy will help adhere to a certain regimen, indicated above. It is also necessary to follow the recommendations of your obstetrician-gynecologist and phlebologist.

Can swelling be avoided during pregnancy?

It is almost impossible to completely avoid swelling during pregnancy. You should pay attention to the regimen and follow the recommendations of your doctor. Also, it is useful to pay attention to the dynamics of edema, its symmetry. If in doubt, voice them to the doctor. nine0014

Which doctor should I go to if swelling occurs during pregnancy?

If edema occurs during pregnancy, you need to contact an obstetrician-gynecologist, as well as a phlebologist.

Are swelling during pregnancy dangerous?

Physiological swelling is inevitable during pregnancy. However, swelling should be kept under control and if in doubt seek medical attention.

How to remove swelling during pregnancy and why they are dangerous

Edema during pregnancy appears in most women "in position". Most often, they notice swelling in the third trimester, after 30 weeks, however, with late toxicosis, symptoms of fluid retention appear as early as the 18th week.

General information

During the period of bearing a child in a woman's body, the volume of fluid increases significantly, at least twice. As a result, the internal organs experience increased stress, which leads to swelling. nine0014

Most often in pregnant women, the legs swell in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe feet and ankles, because under the influence of gravity, the water descends. But over time, swelling can spread to the hands, face, and sometimes the whole body.

Species

Given the prevalence, swelling during pregnancy is of 2 types:

1. Localized (local)

When only one part of the body swells - legs, arms or face. nine0014

2. Generalized (general)

In which edema spreads to the whole body.

Generalized edema is called dropsy of pregnancy and is a consequence of the release of plasma into the intercellular space. Puffiness is generally characteristic of late toxicosis, or gestosis, but it manifests itself with varying degrees of severity.

In some cases, gestosis is quite difficult and is accompanied by such conditions as: nine0014

• nephropathy

It develops against the background of dropsy in about a quarter of women. With nephropathy, blood pressure rises, dizziness, lower back pain, and digestive problems;

• preeclampsia

The next stage after nephropathy with the preservation of edema and the appearance of severe headache, weakness, nausea, turning into vomiting. Typical signs of preeclampsia are drowsiness, blurred vision, lethargy and trembling in the hands; nine0014

• eclampsia

Replaces preeclampsia and lasts no more than 3-4 days. The clinical picture includes severe edema and other symptoms of preeclampsia, against which a convulsive attack appears, turning into a coma. The coma can either get worse or end with the restoration of consciousness.

General edema in pregnant women causes a change in the composition of the blood, which, in turn, leads to fetal hypoxia. Edema can be both obvious and hidden: the first is visible to the naked eye, and the second is determined by too sharp weight gain. nine0014

Attention! If during pregnancy weight gain was more than 18 kg, then doctors ascertain internal edema. The volume of fluid consumed significantly exceeds the amount of urine excreted.

Causes of edema in pregnancy

Edema during gestation can be physiological and pathological. Fluid retention in both cases is due to hormonal fluctuations. Already from the first weeks of pregnancy, the level of progesterone begins to rise, which is necessary to reduce the contractile activity of the uterus and prevent miscarriage. nine0014

In the first trimester, the concentration of progesterone already increases 10 times! And the same hormone prevents the excretion of sodium and water from the body, as the need for fluid also increases.

Why pregnant women need more fluids:

1. The volume of circulating blood should be sufficient for the blood supply to the fetus.
2. The formation of the placenta and amniotic fluid is impossible with the same amount of fluid. nine0004

The growing uterus puts pressure on the vessels, thereby provoking stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs and lower extremities. Therefore, even a healthy woman may experience swelling of the legs.

The amount of fluid during pregnancy increases by 6-8 liters. From 4 to 6 of them fall on the placenta, the remaining 2-4 liters are distributed throughout the body.

The mechanism of development of physiological and pathological edema is associated with three factors, including: nine0014

• hormonal changes;
• sodium retention;
• poor outflow of blood from the pelvic organs and legs.

Symptoms

Edema is not always visible visually and is sometimes determined only by weighing. For some women, even 5 liters of excess fluid can be completely invisible, while for others, temporary water retention causes visible swelling in different parts of the body.

• traces on the skin from socks and seams of clothing that do not “straighten out” for a long time;
• heaviness in the legs, especially in the evening;
• if you press on the shin or foot, a notch remains;
• habitual shoes become tight;
• unable to clench the hand into a fist;
• it is difficult to put on or take off the ring from the finger;
• tingling and slight numbness in the fingers due to compression of the nerves by swollen tissues; nine0004
• puffiness of the face;
• increase in chin, lips, nose in volume.

Book an online consultation if you experience swelling during pregnancy. Our doctors remotely, by phone or video call, will help interpret the symptoms and talk about methods of dealing with edema. Experts on call around the clock, contact for advice at any time.

Which doctor to contact

First you need to go to the gynecologist who leads the pregnancy. He will prescribe an examination and tell you which doctor to book a consultation with. With high pressure and the presence of protein in the urine, preeclampsia can be assumed, which often requires hospitalization. Gynecologists deal with this problem.

If there is a predisposition to varicose veins, heaviness or pain is felt in the legs, then you need to visit a phlebologist.

Alarm symptoms: nine0014

• swelling appears in the morning;
• excess weight gain was recorded in the early stages, already in the 1st trimester;
• constant thirst and decrease in urination with the use of the usual volume of liquid;
• shortness of breath, a feeling of fullness and heaviness in the chest;
• persistent bags under the eyes;
• swelling rises above the knees.

Diagnostics

Sometimes it is not easy to distinguish physiological from pathological edema, so a woman is prescribed an examination. It may include different diagnostic methods:

According to indications, a woman may be prescribed an ultrasound of the pelvic organs, thyroid gland, kidneys, vessels of the lower extremities. In cardiac pathologies, a cardiogram is made, daily Holter monitoring, and phonocardiography are carried out.

How to get rid of edema

You can fight on your own only with physiological edema, and a woman can remove them completely or at least reduce them. But pathological edema requires mandatory medical care, as they are dangerous for the development of complications. nine0014

Diet

The restrictions apply mainly to salt and "harmful" products, in which there is a lot of it - smoked meats, marinades, semi-finished products and canned food. The recommended dose of table salt per day is 1.5 g. If you reduce the amount of sodium entering the body, excess fluid will be more quickly excreted by the kidneys.

It is recommended to lean on products that have a mild diuretic effect. These include most fruits and vegetables - carrots, beets, cucumbers. nine0014

Drinking mode

It is very important to drink at least a liter of water per day, and preferably one and a half, in the absence of contraindications. It will not be possible to avoid edema with a decrease in this volume, because water is needed to replenish the amount of amniotic fluid, remove metabolic products and prepare the body for the upcoming birth.

Case study:

A pregnant woman went to the doctor with complaints of periodic swelling and hot flashes. She has a history of nephrolithiasis, the results of the latest tests are normal. Canephron was prescribed, a low-salt diet, half-bed rest was recommended. When edema appears, lie with your legs elevated, placing a pillow under them, or on your left side. nine0014

Physical activity

Dosed physical activity allows you to remove swelling by at least half. Simple exercise and walking help improve blood circulation, as contracting muscles push blood out of the veins, preventing them from overflowing and thereby making the heart work easier.

To remove swelling from the legs, it is enough to perform exercises every 2 hours for 5-10 minutes. Pregnant women especially benefit from swimming, yoga, and exercise balls. nine0014

Sign up for an online consultation to learn more about how to get rid of swelling during pregnancy. Our doctors will remotely tell you about the most effective methods in relation to your case and tell you what to do. Specialists work for you 24 hours a day.

Treatment

To relieve swelling and prevent their occurrence in the future, various drugs are used.

With gestosis, antispasmodics, anticonvulsants, sedatives, as well as drugs to reduce pressure are prescribed. Women with diagnosed kidney pathology are prescribed diuretics, xanthines, potassium preparations, and antithrombotic agents. nine0014

With varicose veins, phlebotonics, anticoagulants, and compression therapy are effective. High blood pressure is reduced with the help of vasodilators, calcium channel blockers, alpha-2-agonists.

FAQ

What are the dangers of swelling during pregnancy?

+

In the later stages, edema can be a sign of preeclampsia, a very dangerous pathology for both the mother and the child. nine0014

Can hands swell in the second trimester of pregnancy in the heat? This is fine?

+

Yes, both hands and feet can swell in the second trimester. High temperatures are one of the reasons for the formation of edema.

How does swelling appear in the third trimester?

+

In the later stages, mainly the legs swell, and especially the feet. They swell most noticeably in the afternoon and in the evening. nine0014

Expert opinion

Edema during pregnancy is an almost inevitable companion of a woman "in an interesting position." If there are no pathologies, then there is no reason for concern, you just need to slightly adjust your lifestyle. But this does not cancel planned visits to the gynecologist and regular tests. Remember that you can not drink medicines without a doctor's prescription, so as not to harm yourself and the child.

We publish only verified information nine0014

Article author

Menshikova Maria Viktorovna obstetrician-gynecologist

Experience 38 years

Consultations 1816

Articles 46

Specialist with extensive practical experience.

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