causes of nausea and vomiting During Early Pregnancy

Nausea and Vomiting During Early Pregnancy



Up to 80% of pregnant women have nausea and vomiting to some extent. Nausea and vomiting are most common and most severe during the 1st trimester. Although commonly called morning sickness, such symptoms may occur at any time during the day. Symptoms vary from mild to severe.

 

Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe, persistent form of pregnancy-related vomiting. Women with hyperemesis gravidarum vomit so much that they lose weight and become dehydrated. Such women may not consume enough food to provide their body with energy. Then the body breaks down fats, resulting in a buildup of waste products (ketones) called ketosis. Ketosis can cause fatigue, bad breath, dizziness, and other symptoms. Women with hyperemesis gravidarum often become so dehydrated that the balance of electrolytes, needed to keep the body functioning normally, is upset.

 

If women vomit occasionally but gain weight and are not dehydrated, they do not have hyperemesis gravidarum. Morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum tend to resolve during the 2nd trimester.

 

Causes

Usually, nausea and vomiting during pregnancy are related to the pregnancy. However, sometimes they result from a disorder unrelated to the pregnancy.

 

Common causes

The most common causes of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy are

 

  • Morning sickness (most common)
  • Hyperemesis gravidarum
  • Gastroenteritis (infection of the digestive tract)

The causes of morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum during pregnancy are unclear. However, these symptoms may be related to an increase in the levels of two hormones during pregnancy: human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is produced by the placenta early in pregnancy, and estrogen, which helps maintain the pregnancy. Estrogen levels are particularly high in women with hyperemesis gravidarum. Also, hormones such as progesterone (produced continuously during pregnancy) may slow the movement of the stomach’s contents, possibly contributing to nausea and vomiting.

 

Less common causes

Occasionally, prenatal vitamins with iron cause nausea. Rarely, severe, persistent vomiting results from a hydatidiform mole (abnormal placental growth with or without a fetus due to an abnormally fertilized egg).

 

Causes of nausea and vomiting unrelated to the pregnancy include

 

Disorders of the abdomen such as appendicitis, a blockage in the intestine ( intestinal obstruction), or inflammation of the gallbladder ( cholecystitis)

Brain disorders such as severe headaches (particularly migraine headaches), bleeding within the brain ( intracranial hemorrhage), and, rarely, increased pressure within the brain (increased intracranial pressure), which can be caused by a number of disorders, such as infection, tumors, or bleeding

However, these disorders usually cause other symptoms that are more prominent, such as abdominal pain or headaches.

 

Evaluation

Doctors first try to determine whether nausea and vomiting are caused by a serious disorder. Morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum are diagnosed only after other causes are ruled out.

 

Warning signs

In pregnant women who are vomiting, the following symptoms are cause for concern:

 

Abdominal pain

Signs of dehydration, such as decreased urination, decreased sweating, increased thirst, a dry mouth, a racing heart, and dizziness when standing up

Fever

Vomit that is bloody, black (resembling coffee grounds), or green

No movement of the fetus if the fetus is older than 24 weeks

Confusion, weakness or numbness of one side of the body, speech or vision problems, or sluggishness

Vomiting that persists or that is worsening

When to see a doctor

Women with warning signs should see a doctor right away, as should those with vomiting that is particularly severe or is worsening.

 

Women without warning signs should talk to their doctor. The doctor can help them decide whether and how quickly they need to be seen based on the nature and severity of their symptoms. Women who have mild to moderate nausea and vomiting, have not lost weight, and are able to keep some liquids down may not need to see a doctor unless their symptoms worsen.

 

What the doctor does

Doctors ask about symptoms and the medical history. Doctors then do a physical examination. What they find during the history and physical examination often suggests a cause and the tests that may need to be done (see table Some Causes and Features of Nausea and Vomiting During Early Pregnancy).

 

Doctors ask about the vomiting:

 

When it started

How long it lasts

How many times a day it occurs

Whether anything relieves or makes it worse

What the vomit looks like

How much there is

The woman is asked whether she has other symptoms, particularly abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation, and how her symptoms have affected her and her family—whether she can work and care for her children. The woman is also asked about vomiting in previous pregnancies, about previous abdominal surgery, and use of drugs that may contribute to vomiting.

 

During the physical examination, doctors first look for signs of serious disorders, such as blood pressure that is too low or too high, fever, confusion, and sluggishness. A pelvic examination may be done to check for evidence of a hydatidiform mole and other abnormalities.

 

This information helps doctors determine whether vomiting results from the pregnancy or another, unrelated disorder. For example, vomiting probably results from the pregnancy if it:

 

Began during the 1st trimester

Lasts or recurs over several days to weeks

Is not accompanied by abdominal pain

Vomiting probably results from another disorder if it:

 

Began after the 1st trimester

Is accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, or both

TABLE

Some Causes and Features of Nausea and Vomiting During Early Pregnancy         

Testing

Doctors often use a handheld Doppler ultrasound device, placed on the woman's abdomen, to check for a heartbeat in the fetus. If no heartbeats are detected by the time they should be (at about 11 weeks), a hydatidiform mole is possible.

 

If the woman is vomiting often or appears dehydrated or if a hydatidiform mole is possible, tests are usually done. Which tests are done depend on the cause doctors suspect:

 

Hyperemesis gravidarum: Urine tests (to measure ketone levels) and possibly blood tests (to measure electrolyte levels and other substances)

A hydatidiform mole: Ultrasonography of the pelvis

A disorder unrelated to the pregnancy: Tests specific for that disorder

Treatment

If vomiting is due to a disorder, that disorder is treated. If vomiting is related to pregnancy, some changes in diet or eating habits may help:

 

Drinking or eating small amounts more frequently (5 or 6 small meals a day)

Eating before getting hungry

Eating only bland foods, such as bananas, rice, applesauce, and dry toast (called the BRAT diet)

Keeping crackers by the bed and eating one or two before getting up

Drinking carbonated drinks (sodas)

If vomiting results in dehydration, the woman may be given fluids intravenously. If vomiting persists, she may be hospitalized. She may be given sugar (glucose), electrolytes, and occasionally vitamins intravenously with the fluids. After vomiting has subsided, she is given fluids by mouth. If she can keep these fluids down, she can begin eating frequent, small portions of bland foods. The size of the portions is increased as the woman can tolerate more food.

 

If needed, drugs to relieve nausea (antiemetic drugs) are given. Doctors choose drugs that appear to be safe during early pregnancy. Vitamin B6 is used first. If it is ineffective, another drug (doxylamine, metoclopramide, ondansetron, or promethazine) is also given.

 

Ginger (available as capsules or lollipops), acupuncture, motion sickness bands, and hypnosis may help, as may switching from prenatal vitamins to children's chewable vitamins with folate.

 

Rarely, weight loss continues and symptoms persist despite treatment. Then the woman is fed through a tube passed through the nose and down the throat to the small intestine. Tube feeding is continued for as long as necessary.

 

Key Points

Usually, nausea and vomiting during pregnancy do not cause weight loss or other problems, and they resolve before or during the 2nd trimester.

Hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe, persistent form of pregnancy-related vomiting, is less common and can cause dehydration and weight loss.

Nausea and vomiting may be due to disorders not related to pregnancy, such as gastroenteritis, a urinary tract infection, or, rarely, a blockage in the intestine.

Modifying the diet may help relieve mild nausea and vomiting that are related to pregnancy.

If women with hyperemesis gravidarum become dehydrated, they may need to be given fluids intrav

  1. CORONA VIRUS
  2. MONKEY POX
  3. VAGINAL DRYNESS
  4. FIBROID
  5. INFERTILITY
  6. OVULATION CYCLE
  7. OVARIAN CANCER
  8. VAGINAL BACTERIA
  9. MALE INFERTILITY
  10. BEST DAYS OF CONCIEVING
  11. MUCUS AFTER OVULATION
  12. FOODS FOR ERECTILE FUNCTIONS
  13. PREGNANCY ANEMIA
  14. DO AND DONT DURING PREGNANCY
  15. ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION
  16. U.T.I IN PREGNANCY
  17. STROKE RISK
  18. EAT THIS NOT THAT
  19. HOOKWORMS INFECTION
  20. OMEGA 3 BENEFITS
  21. FASTING
  22. WEIGHT LOSS TIPS
  23. vitiligo
  24. ABORTION
  25. DENGUE VIRUS
  26. EBORA VIRUS
  27. FEVER
  28. URINARY TRACT INFECTION
  29. HOSPITAL INFECTIONS
  30. WEST NILE VIRUS
  31. YELLOW FEVER
  32. EYE DISEASE
  33. ZIKA VIRUS
  34. STRESS
  35. IRON DEFFICIENCE
  36. INSOMNIA (SLEEPING PROBLEMS)
  37. HEART PROBLEMS
  38. COMPONENTS OF BLOOD
  39. BLOOD DISORDER
  40. LABORATORY TEST OF BLOOD DISORDER
  41. BONE MARROW EXAMINATION
  42. BLOOD ANEMIA
  43. ANIMAL BITES
  44. EYE BURN
  45. CHOCKING
  46. HEAT STROKE
  47. SMOKE EFFECTS
  48. SNAKE BITE
  49. MALARIA VACCINE
  50. BEST WAY TO SLEEP A CHILD
  51. CHILD FEVER REDUCING
  52. ELEPHANTIASIS
  53. WOMEN BEARDS
  54. DATES
  55. PAPAYA FRUITS

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