Symptoms Not to Ignore With Pregnancy Nausea, When to Call Doctor



Posted: Wednesday, December 23, 2009

by bowechaim

Nausea and even vomiting are such common experiences for pregnant women that most people regard these symptoms as simply normal during pregnancy. Fortunately, this is the case for probably 95 to 99 out of a hundred women. Some women will have mild difficulties for a couple of months; others may be extremely uncomfortable and need to make some significant changes in their diet and schedules to adjust. But though the severity and the duration of "morning sickness" varies considerably, most expectant mothers get through it without danger to themselves or their babies.

For the small minority of exceptions, however, the consequences are serious enough that it is important to be aware of when pregnancy nausea merits a call to the doctor for further medical assessment and possibly treatment.

First of all, many illnesses will cause nausea and vomiting, and just because a woman happens to be pregnant does not mean that she could not also have developed a totally unrelated condition that does require medical attention. Flu, food poisoning, blocked intestine, appendicitis, migraines, heart attacks, kidney or liver disorders, meningitis, brain tumors, and some forms of cancer all can sometimes induce nausea and vomiting.

There are also several possible serious illnesses associated with pregnancy itself, however, that need to be considered in women for whom nausea and vomiting are particularly severe or develop in the later stages of the pregnancy-specifically, hyperemesis gravidarum, acute fatty liver of pregnancy, and HELLP.

Hyperemesis gravidarum

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), or "extreme nausea and vomiting of pregnancy," is the most common of these illnesses, and is estimated to affect no more than 2 to 3 percent of pregnant women. HG is different from morning sickness primarily in degree. A woman who begins her pregnancy with only mild or moderate nausea can find the condition worsening to the point where it is diagnosable as HG.

Some markers or signs for a woman and her doctor to look out for include:

Severe and persistent nausea and vomiting before the 20th week of pregnancy (gestation);

Loss of more than five percent of original body weight;

Dehydration and vitamin and mineral deficits;

Rising pulse rate;

Excessive salivation (ptyalism);

Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia);

A distinct breath odor caused by ketosis;

Impaired quality of life as women suffering from HG may be unable to work, perform routine household tasks, care for their other children, or participate in a normal social life;

Depression, moodiness, irritability, personality changes and even hallucinations.

Certain factors make a woman more susceptible to HG, including being very young, being overweight, carrying twins or multiples, a first-time pregnancy, and a previous personal or family history of HG in previous pregnancies.

Women with extreme symptoms of HG may require hospitalization to restore lost fluids and nutrients through intravenous and parenteral feeding.

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy

Only about 1 in 10,000 to 15,000 pregnant women suffer from this disorder, which leads to a build-up of fat in liver cells. Symptoms are most likely to start late, in the third trimester of pregnancy. It is more common in first-time pregnancies. Warning signs include:

Persistent nausea and vomiting;

Pain in the upper abdomen;

General malaise and fatigue;

Jaundice;

Headache;

Frequent thirst (polydipsia);

Increased urination (polyuria);

Confusion and altered mental state.

Untreated acute fatty liver can lead to liver and kidney failure, hemorrhaging and severe infection that are life-threatening for both mother and fetus. Diagnosis requires a blood test and treatment can involve blood transfusions and delivering the child as soon as possible.

HELLP syndrome

HELLP stands for hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count and occurs in about 10 percent of women with severe preeclampsia. Like acute fatty liver of pregnancy, HELLP is most common late in the term. The symptoms are similar, including:

Nausea or vomiting

Pain in the stomach or upper-right abdomen

General malaise

Headache

HELLP can cause liver damage, kidney failure, bleeding, stroke and even death in the mother, and also endangers the survival of the fetus.

All of these illnesses are extremely uncommon, but they do make it clear that it is always worthwhile for any pregnant woman to inform and consult her physician if she is experiencing severe and persistent nausea at any time during her pregnancy.

___________________________________________________________

Lisa Packer is passionate about helping others with there morning sickness. For more great information on pregnancy nausea when, visit http://www.alleviatemorningsickness.com.
This Article has been viewed 134 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.
We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.