Health issues during pregnancy affect the health of a pregnant woman. Most pregnant women experience some health issues or the other during pregnancy. Let us have a look at the common health issues occurring during pregnancy. Pregnancies are usually uncomplicated. However, it is always better to be prepared and be aware of common health issues or medical issues which can arise during the nine months of pregnancy. The purpose of this article is to highlight some of serious issues which can affect the health of a pregnant woman. Most doctors do update and keep pregnant women informed of the health issues to watch out for. In addition, during the course of pregnancy health tests, laboratory tests, physical examination and ultrasound are carried out to diagnose any potential problems that may arise. Pregnant women must therefore attend all their prenatal appointments without fail and clearly specify any health issues that they may be facing to their doctors. Health issues during pregnancy can be routine issues or serious ones. Routine problems are expected problems which do not pose any serious health risk to the pregnant woman or the unborn child. Serious issues range in severity and in extreme cases may result in death of the woman as well as that of the fetus unless attended to in a timely manner. In this articleConstipation -Contractions -Dehydration -Miscarriage -Preeclampsia -Common Health Issues During Pregnancy Some of the health issues to expected during a normal pregnancy include: Constipation - Because of hormonal changes happening in the body and elevated levels of progesterone most pregnant women complain of constipation. To solve this problem it is important to drink plenty of fluids and consume diets rich in fiber. Two to three helpings of fruits and vegetables is recommended to ensure proper bowel movement. Contractions - Many a time pregnant women experience occasional, irregular, painless contractions which can happen several times in a day. These are quite normal and referred to as Braxton Hicks Contractions. This is primarily caused due to dehydration of the body and can be easily solved by consuming additional fluids. It is important to understand the difference between this type of contraction and the one which is a sign of preterm as labour. When the contractions are occurring regularly after every 10 to 15 minutes it is a sign of preterm labour. Immediate medical assistance must be sought when women experience regular contractions.Dehydration - This is a common complaint of most pregnant women. It happens due to the expanded intravascular space. Women experiencing dehydration must consume plenty of fluids since it can eventually lead to uterine contractions and a whole lot of other issues. In addition to water, consuming fresh fruit juices, milk and fruits with high water content is advisable. Miscarriage - Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy that happens within the first 20 weeks. Statistically almost 15 – 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Of this more than 80 % happens before week 12. This type of miscarriage is believed to be a consequence of chromosomal abnormalities in the fertilised egg which stops the embryo from developing. The first sign of a miscarriage in the first trimester is vaginal spotting or bleeding. However, it is important to bear in mind that it is not uncommon to bleed or spot in the early stages of pregnancy even if you are not miscarrying. Preeclampsia - Preeclampsia is a disorder which affects almost 3 to 8% of pregnant women. Common symptoms of this disorder include elevated levels of blood pressure after week 20 and traces of protein in the urine. Most pregnant women who get preeclampsia develop a very mild version as their due date nears. In such cases the disorder does not affect the growing fetus. In certain rare cases when the pregnant woman suffers from severe preeclampsia it can be life threatening and cause damage to many organs of the body. Hence, such women will need to deliver early. Most women do have a normal pregnancy without any major health issues. Having said that it is important for pregnant women to be aware of and understand about warning signs which may indicate the possibility of potential health issues requiring immediate medical attention.
Health issues during pregnancy affect the health of a pregnant woman. Most pregnant women experience some health issues or the other during pregnancy. Let us have a look at the common health issues occurring during pregnancy. Pregnancies are usually uncomplicated. However, it is always better to be prepared and be aware of common health issues or medical issues which can arise during the nine months of pregnancy. The purpose of this article is to highlight some of serious issues which can affect the health of a pregnant woman.
Most doctors do update and keep pregnant women informed of the health issues to watch out for. In addition, during the course of pregnancy health tests, laboratory tests, physical examination and ultrasound are carried out to diagnose any potential problems that may arise. Pregnant women must therefore attend all their prenatal appointments without fail and clearly specify any health issues that they may be facing to their doctors.
Health issues during pregnancy can be routine issues or serious ones. Routine problems are expected problems which do not pose any serious health risk to the pregnant woman or the unborn child. Serious issues range in severity and in extreme cases may result in death of the woman as well as that of the fetus unless attended to in a timely manner.
Common Health Issues During Pregnancy
Some of the health issues to expected during a normal pregnancy include:
Constipation -
Because of hormonal changes happening in the body and elevated levels of progesterone most pregnant women complain of
constipation. To solve this problem it is important to drink plenty of fluids and consume diets rich in fiber. Two to three helpings of fruits and vegetables is recommended to ensure proper bowel movement.
Contractions -
Many a time pregnant women experience occasional, irregular, painless contractions which can happen several times in a day. These are quite normal and referred to as Braxton Hicks Contractions. This is primarily caused due to dehydration of the body and can be easily solved by consuming additional fluids.
It is important to understand the difference between this type of contraction and the one which is a sign of preterm as labour. When the contractions are occurring regularly after every 10 to 15 minutes it is a sign of preterm labour. Immediate medical assistance must be sought when women experience regular contractions.
Dehydration -
This is a common complaint of most pregnant women. It happens due to the expanded intravascular space. Women experiencing dehydration must consume plenty of fluids since it can eventually lead to uterine contractions and a whole lot of other issues. In addition to water, consuming fresh fruit juices, milk and fruits with high water content is advisable.
Miscarriage -
Miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy that happens within the first 20 weeks. Statistically almost 15 – 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Of this more than 80 % happens before week 12. This type of miscarriage is believed to be a consequence of chromosomal abnormalities in the fertilised egg which stops the embryo from developing. The first sign of a miscarriage in the first trimester is vaginal spotting or bleeding. However, it is important to bear in mind that it is not uncommon to bleed or spot in the early stages of pregnancy even if you are not miscarrying.
Preeclampsia -
Preeclampsia is a disorder which affects almost 3 to 8% of pregnant women. Common symptoms of this disorder include elevated levels of blood pressure after week 20 and traces of protein in the urine. Most pregnant women who get preeclampsia develop a very mild version as their due date nears. In such cases the disorder does not affect the growing fetus. In certain rare cases when the pregnant woman suffers from severe preeclampsia it can be life threatening and cause damage to many organs of the body. Hence, such women will need to deliver early.
Most women do have a normal pregnancy without any major health issues. Having said that it is important for pregnant women to be aware of and understand about warning signs which may indicate the possibility of potential health issues requiring immediate medical attention.
