How to relieve swelling during pregnancy: prevention and treatment
Swelling occurs quite often in pregnant women. According to experts, about 75% of women feel discomfort due to leg swelling. The prevention of edema on the legs during pregnancy consists in adequate rest (it is desirable that the legs are above the level of the body), daily intake of a sufficient amount of liquid (water), proper nutrition (it is necessary to reduce the use of salt, add foods that contain potassium to the diet).
How to relieve swelling during pregnancy, which swellings are considered normal and when you should consult a doctor - this will be discussed below.
Heavily swollen legs in the late stages - what to do
Balls, feet and toes often swell slightly during pregnancy as the body retains more water than usual. By the end of the day, extra fluid tends to collect in the lowest parts of the body. Most often this happens in hot weather. Slight swelling does not cause harm to the mother and the future child, but it creates certain inconveniences.
Usually swelling appears in the late stages. What to do with swelling in the third trimester? Watch. If swelling appears closer to the evening, and the whole day was spent "on your feet", then this is normal. After rest with the legs raised above the level of the body, a night's sleep, a cold compress, swelling usually subsides.
If the legs swell a lot in the late stages, and the swelling does not go away after several hours of rest, there is swelling of the face, neck, hands, and a headache - this is a reason for anxiety. Only a doctor, based on the results of tests, the dynamics of weight gain, and blood pressure indicators, will be able to distinguish physiological swelling of pregnant women from preeclampsia - a condition dangerous to health and life. Read more about the complications of the third trimester of pregnancy on our website https://dobrobut.com.
How to get rid of swollen hands during pregnancy
The rings no longer slide easily on the finger, and the fingers themselves are swollen. Why do swelling of fingers appear during pregnancy? During this period, the body produces 50% more blood and other biological fluids. Some of the extra fluid accumulates in the tissues, and due to the law of gravity, swelling is mainly concentrated in the arms and legs. As a rule, a woman notices swelling from the fifth month of pregnancy, and swelling persists throughout the third trimester.
How to get rid of hand swelling during pregnancy on your own:
- monitor the use of sodium, which can cause even more fluid retention;
- use foods with a high potassium content (for example, bananas);
- use cold compresses;
- drink more water.
If the listed measures do not help, the hands swell even more, swelling of the face appears, then you should consult a doctor. This condition can be a sign of preeclampsia, a potentially dangerous combination of high blood pressure and elevated protein levels in the blood.
Why does the nose swell during pregnancy
About 30% of pregnant women complain of runny nose and nasal congestion. Moreover, such a condition is not an allergy or a viral infection. Rhinitis in pregnant women can start already in the second month. In the later stages, the symptoms are more pronounced.
The cause of rhinitis: a change in the hormonal background during pregnancy contributes to the swelling of the mucous membranes that line the nose. The volume of blood in the body also increases, which causes dilation of blood vessels and nasal congestion.
Treatment of swelling of the nose during pregnancy:
- drink more;
- sleep on a high pillow;
- make steam inhalations;
- use a saline solution for rinsing and/or instillation of the nose;
- use a humidifier (especially at night);
- avoid potential irritants (cigarette smoke, paint, chemical fumes).
It is undesirable to take nasal drops and sprays during the first trimester. If the nasal congestion is severe, you should consult a doctor who will prescribe drug therapy.
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