I remember the early stages of my pregnancy, I was vomiting so much that my entire life came to a complete halt, I was unable to do anything meaningful thing with my life until I got treated appropriately, and that is the reason why I will be sharing about "Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG)".
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This condition is also known as described as, severe morning sickness, which is a case of persistent, and extreme occurrence of nausea during pregnancy this occurrence could lead to dehydration and loss of weight.
We know that morning sickness is very common during pregnancy as almost all pregnant women experience it, but it is not as serious as hyperemesis gravidarum and it does not cause weight loss or dehydration. With morning sickness, there is occasional nausea and vomiting, but the liquid will still be kept down most times of the day, it would most likely stop after the first trimester.
On the other hand, hyperemesis gravidarum would make you vomit several times a day. The symptoms of HG will last longer than that of morning sickness. The symptoms experienced could stop after a few weeks, months, or even until delivery time, but it can be so disturbing that the normal activities of the pregnant woman are halted.
HG may begin at the 4th to the 6th week of pregnancy, it may get worse at weeks 9-13 when the vomiting becomes so severe that the pregnant woman is unable to step out, in most cases these symptoms will get better at the 20th week of pregnancy.
After severe vomiting comes feeling dizzy or lightheaded, reduced amount of urination, fainting, and extreme tiredness. Other less common symptoms are; jaundice, dry skin, fast heart rate, low blood pressure, and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome which is an unusual memory disorder.
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There is still no clearly researched reason behind the cause of hyperemesis gravidarum, but rising levels of the hormone are what causes it. During pregnancy, the body produces human chorionic gonadotropin(HCG), produced in a large amount and very fast too. Estrogen is also a contributing factor, which is a hormone that increases during pregnancy and may play a major role in nausea and vomiting.
HG in a complicated scenario could cause problems for both mother and child, it could lead to; weight loss, kidney malfunction where the kidney may stop functioning appropriately leading to frequent urination, low level of minerals that the body needs is absent so there is dizziness, body weakness, and changes in blood pressure.
Malnutrition, electrolyte imbalance, and the constant need for bed rest could weaken your muscles, at this point as well, the pregnant woman may produce excessive saliva which makes nausea even worse. Bleeding in the throat may also be experienced due to excessive bleeding.
In a complicated case like this, a medical expert will help you manage the situation, there is a very high chance that your baby will be born prematurely or have a low birth weight, and either of these options could create a strong risk for health issues.
The treatment of HG as a condition is dependent on symptoms felt, and how the overall health of the patient is affected. A medical expert must be consulted and when that happens, different options will be recommended depending on how severe the situation is.
Doctors may need to give you saline, and possibly electrolytes, and vitamins to help keep you hydrated. If you are unable to keep anything down, you may be given nutrition through a tube that goes through the nose into the stomach. In an extreme situation, a tube may be directly connected to the victim's stomach or small intestine.
For pregnant women who can eat, they are advised to have smaller and more frequent meals. They are also advised to drink smaller portions of drinks with the help of a straw, doctors may suggest the consumption of electrolyte-replacement sports drinks and nutritional supplements.
Some pregnant women are at higher risk of developing HG than others, there is a higher chance of experiencing HG if;
- You are pregnant for the first time.
- There is a family history of serious morning sickness.
- You have gestational trophoblastic disease which has to do with an abnormal growth of cells in your uterus.
- A case of multiple pregnancies.
- You have a history of migraine headaches or motion sickness.
Conclusion.
There is no cause for alarm as most people who experience HG often deliver healthy babies. However, the most important thing is that you have your doctor with you all through the pregnancy journey, closely monitoring you to ensure you do not experience any form of complication or further complication as the case may be.
Most times, after the second trimester, symptoms stop and the expectant mother feels relieved and if symptoms are experienced all through the pregnancy period, they will most likely go away after delivery.
For Further Studies.
https://www.webmd.com/baby/what-is-hyperemesis-gravidarum
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001499.htm
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/complications/severe-vomiting/
https://www.healthline.com/health/hyperemesis-gravidarum
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12232-hyperemesis-gravidarum
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532917/
Hi, I am Tobi, a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.