Why does dizziness occur during early pregnancy? This is a common question. Let's look into it in more detail.
Dizziness with nausea, ringing tinnitus and weakness in the body that have appeared are most often signs of a condition close to the onset of fainting. A sharp lack of oxygen, and, in addition, nutrients that do not enter the brain due to impaired blood flow, cause dizziness, which can make a pregnant woman lose consciousness. To avoid dizziness during pregnancy, you need to know the causes of their occurrence, as well as be aware of the existing ways to prevent such a dangerous condition. We will talk about all this further.
What are the main reasons?
Expectant mothers should know that if the head is often dizzy beforepregnancy, then during the gestation of the fetus, things can go even worse, because from now on the body is affected by an additional load. If the cause of dizziness was not found before the onset of pregnancy, then you can try to figure out on your own what could have provoked such a condition before. So, the possible causes of dizziness during pregnancy are the following factors:
- Development of cervical osteochondrosis.
- Presence of a brain tumor.
- Presence of diseases of the vestibular apparatus.
- Presence of internal bleeding.
- Formation of multiple sclerosis.
- Development of diabetes.
- Presence of intracranial pressure.
- Appearance of otitis and diseases of the inner ear.
In the event that a woman does not suffer from the listed pathologies, then the nature of the origin of her dizziness is directly related to her new "position" of the body. Each trimester has its own reasons for the appearance. Dizziness during pregnancy may begin at conception and recur periodically thereafter.
First trimester dizziness
In the first months of fetal development, the expectant mother's head may be spinning for natural reasons. For example, with strong stuffiness and being in a poorly ventilated place or in a public transport cabin. Indeed, in such conditions, the body may not receive the amount of oxygen it needs.
The same applies to high air temperature. Heat can contribute to overheating and make people feel unwell. Vesselsbodies in this case can expand, thereby lowering the pressure, which leads to a lack of oxygen. In addition, with the onset of pregnancy, hormones are produced that reduce pressure, thereby contributing to the appearance or increase in the frequency of dizziness.
Adaptation of the body
But the main cause of dizziness during pregnancy in the first trimester is a failure in the adaptive mechanism of the female body. A woman reacts to a hormonal change as a result of pregnancy, and most often this happens in the form of so-called toxicosis. The most common symptoms are weakness along with dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Need to inform doctor
As a rule, when dizziness occurs in the first trimester, there is no need for medical intervention and concomitant treatment. But the obstetrician-gynecologist who manages the pregnancy should be informed about such ailments.
It should be noted that if there is weakness along with dizziness during pregnancy, bleeding or brown discharge from the genital tract, then these may be signs of an ectopic pregnancy or threatened miscarriage. In this case, you need to urgently call an ambulance and inform the dispatcher about the concerns. In such a situation, a woman needs hospitalization. Timely treatment will help save the life of an unborn child.
Why do dizziness and nausea occur during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester?
Second trimester
In the absence of certain he alth problems, dizziness can be observed due to a long stay without movement. A sedentary lifestyle contributes to the deterioration of blood circulation, so a sharp attempt to rise is accompanied by dizziness along with darkening in the eyes. But there are more serious reasons for the development of dizziness during pregnancy in the second trimester.
Oxygen starvation
For example, the development of oxygen starvation of the brain in a woman. As the fetus grows, the surface of the uterus increases. This in turn requires additional blood flow. Immediately prior to conception, blood flow was negligible at only 2 percent. With the growth of the baby, this figure increases many times, and by the time the second trimester is completed, the blood flow in the uterus is almost a third of the total blood circulation. In this regard, other organs and especially the brain receive much less oxygen, because of this, dizziness appears along with darkening in the eyes, and so on.
Anemia
The next reason is anemia of pregnant women, which is manifested by a decrease in hemoglobin levels. Normally, in parallel with an increase in the volume of circulating blood, an increase in the number of red blood cells should also occur. But due to some factors that prevent the normal absorption of substances and iron from the digestive system, there is a violation of the hematopoiesis process. Against this background, anemia may occur, as a result of which, the mother and child are at risk.hypoxia and its attendant malaise.
Another factor is impaired glucose tolerance due to gestational diabetes. This type of diabetes is observed only in pregnant women and it disappears immediately after the birth of the baby. This form of diabetes appears when the mother's pancreas cannot withstand additional stress on insulin production. Why is this happening? The hormones of a pregnant woman increase the level of sugar. The pancreas, in turn, must produce enough insulin to adjust the amount of sugar, but it happens that it fails, and the expectant mother is observed in connection with this "pregnancy diabetes", which can also lead to dizziness. To determine it, all women are supposed to take a urine and blood test for sugar content.
There are other causes of dizziness during pregnancy.
The appearance of dizziness in the third trimester
At this time, dizziness may occur due to a long stay in the supine position on the back. The enlarged uterus compresses the blood vessels, especially the inferior vena cava, thereby disrupting the general blood flow. In this regard, in the third trimester, doctors recommend lying on your side during rest. In addition, a special pillow designed for pregnant women will contribute to the correct position of the body.
Also, later on, dizziness can occur as a result of being upright for a long time, for example, due to queues or long walks. This causes excessive blood flow to the lower part of the body, which leads to a decrease in brain nutrition.
Another type of severe dizziness during pregnancy is caused by a sharp decrease in glucose. This happens for three reasons:
- Sparse food.
- Excessive consumption of elemental carbohydrates, such as cakes, candies and other sweets.
- Severe vomiting against the background of toxicosis, which can be observed throughout the entire period of pregnancy.
Dizziness in the eyes due to a sudden change in body position is mistakenly considered dizziness. In fact, this refers to a pre-fainting state. During a sharp movement, blood does not have time to enter the brain. An increase in blood volume during pregnancy leads to an increase in this phenomenon.
By the end of this trimester, from week 38, pregnant women complain of dizziness. This is due to the fact that the body is preparing for an early birth, the blood, in turn, rushes down, which causes oxygen starvation of the brain, provoking dizziness in the later stages. In the event that there is no strong drop in pressure with fainting, then this is a temporary ailment that should not cause concern.
There is dizziness during early pregnancy.
Dizziness as a sign of pregnancy
Drowsiness with weakness and more frequent cases of dizziness may be the first signs of the onset of pregnancy. This is more common in women with regular emotionaloverload, overstrain, and, in addition, anemia and various vascular pathologies. In addition, from the first days of pregnancy, new capillaries form in the pelvic area, an additional blood flow appears, which is aimed at increasing blood circulation in the uterus.
But the female body does not always have time to rebuild, and as a result, the blood supply process can fail, directing a large amount of blood to the small pelvis, causing its excessive outflow from the brain. After a short period of time, as the correct functioning of the circulatory system is established, dizziness may pass without a trace, or remain insignificant throughout the entire period of pregnancy.
Treatment
In the normal course of pregnancy, this symptom is not dangerous, and therefore no treatment is required. Measures are taken in only three situations: the appearance of dizziness during pregnancy in the second trimester against the background of the development of anemia, with low pressure and in the presence of gestational diabetes. Only the manifestation of diabetes along with severe anemia may require the use of medications. As for mild signs of anemia, they can always be corrected with iron products.
Low blood pressure in dizziness during pregnancy (second trimester) is increased with regular but moderate intake of black tea or coffee. And with dizziness caused by vegetovascular dystonia, in order to normalize well-being, it is recommended to take sedatives thatallowed for pregnant women, for example, valerian or motherwort tablets.
To normalize glucose, you should eat regularly, without skipping breakfasts and afternoon snacks. Portions should be small, but satisfying enough. This will help avoid sudden spikes in blood sugar. As for fasting, it is contraindicated. It is very important to minimize the use of sweets, or better, completely abandon them.
All other variants of dizziness require preventive measures, and therapy as such is not subject. Nevertheless, the occurrence of dizziness of any nature indicates the need for certain precautions.
How to prevent weakness and dizziness during pregnancy?
Prevention
Compliance with certain rules will help reduce the frequency of dizziness. So, you should avoid stuffy rooms, travel in crowded public transport. You need to regularly ventilate the room, take walks in the park area and just be outdoors more often. It is very useful to do gymnastics for pregnant women. You should not make sudden movements, trying to move slowly and smoothly.
