Gestosis during pregnancy: what is it and how to treat

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Preeclampsia in later stages is considered a rather dangerous complication that occurs during pregnancy. This ailment manifests itself in different signs, and it is necessary to pay attention to the symptoms of the disease in time so that the ailment does not affect the health of the child and mother.

According to statistics, the disease often leads to premature birth, and if you do not help a woman on time, it can cause intrauterine fetal death or death of the mother. The doctor necessarily prescribes the treatment of gestosis, while it should be carried out in a hospital under the strict supervision of a doctor.

Risk group

In medicine, a group of those women who most often encounter this problem is distinguished; the risk group includes:

• pregnant women over 35 years old, as well as girls under 17 years old;
• expectant mothers who are often exposed to stressful situations during pregnancy;
• women who carry two or more children;
• pregnant women who often consume alcoholic beverages, abuse smoking and drugs;
• expectant mothers who are malnourished and living in poor conditions;
• women who have already suffered from preeclampsia in previous pregnancies;
• pregnant women with a history of miscarriages or frequent abortions;
• expectant mothers who become pregnant again earlier than two years later.

If a woman in previous pregnancies did not suffer from gestosis, then most likely in the second pregnancy the ailment will not manifest itself.

But if gestosis was present in the history of a previous pregnancy, and the woman is also at risk, the gynecologist should especially carefully monitor the health of the expectant mother.

The main symptoms of gestosis

Signs of preeclampsia in late pregnancy usually occur at 30-38 weeks, while the symptoms are quite pronounced even at the first stage of the disease.

At the reception, the gynecologist must examine the limbs of the pregnant woman to make sure that there is no edema.

Also, a woman's blood pressure is necessarily measured. The main symptoms of toxicosis at this time include:

• the appearance of edema on the limbs;
• blood pressure rises, usually 20% higher than normal for a pregnant woman;
• the amount of protein in the urine increases, as shown by tests.

All three symptoms are extremely rare at once, usually only one or two of them are observed. Such signs already indicate that the pregnancy is proceeding with pathologies, and the woman needs medical help.

If in the first months of pregnancy the expectant mother has too rapid weight gain, this can also cause late toxicosis.

When preeclampsia is not treated, it gradually turns into a severe form, it can also proceed with attacks of headaches, an increase in body temperature, the appearance of severe edema throughout the body, as well as bouts of nausea and general weakness. If such symptoms appear, the expectant mother should be hospitalized immediately.

Severe forms of the disease

With a severe form of preeclampsia in late pregnancy, more serious signs of toxicosis may occur, in this case, a malfunction of the nervous system occurs, against this background eclampsia develops, as well as preeclampsia.

Both of these conditions are extremely dangerous not only for health, but also for the life of the mother and the unborn child.

Symptoms of preeclampsia include:

• severe pain in the temples and the back of the head;
• soreness occurs in the right hypochondrium, expectant mothers often complain of pain in the upper abdomen;
• shortness of breath occurs, accompanied by fever and chills;
• in rare cases, nasal congestion is observed;
• there may be a sharp redness of the face;
• "flies" appear before the eyes;
• often there is an increase in temperature, bouts of vomiting and acute nausea, as well as itching of the skin;
• activity increases, or decreases markedly;
• the voice becomes hoarse, a cough appears;
• the woman's behavior becomes inadequate, she becomes more whiny;
• difficulties in speech may be present, in rare cases, hearing deteriorates.

If you do not help the patient in time, this will lead to the development of eclampsia, this is very dangerous for a pregnant woman, since a seizure ultimately leads to cerebral edema and hemorrhage.

The main stages of gestosis

According to the signs, four stages of gestosis are distinguished during pregnancy in the late stages:

1. Dropsy. This condition is mild and usually does not require hospitalization. In this case, the expectant mother develops swelling in the arms and legs. But this symptom cannot speak for sure about toxicosis; only the attending physician can establish an accurate diagnosis.
2. Nephropathy. With this form of gestosis, the kidneys may be affected. There is not only swelling of the limbs, but also an increase in blood pressure. Nephropathy quickly flows into more complex forms of gestosis, which is why at the first sign you should seek help from a doctor and go to hospital.
3. Preeclampsia … With this form, the blood supply to the entire nervous system of the body is disrupted in the expectant mother. This leads to the fact that the protein in the urine rises significantly, and there are also sharp surges in pressure. In the absence of treatment, attacks of acute headaches, the appearance of nausea and frequent vomiting are possible, as well as a violation of the functioning of the visual organ. Serious mental illness often develops against the background of preeclampsia.
4. Eclampsia. It is considered the most serious condition for a woman, in this case, seizures develop, during which stroke or cerebral edema may develop. Attacks lead to disruptions in the work of many organs, which is extremely dangerous for both the pregnant woman and the fetus. In this case, the placenta ages faster, fetal freezing, placental abruption or early labor may occur.

For a child, all signs of preeclampsia in late pregnancy are dangerous, since there is a lack of oxygen in the body, which means that blood circulation in the placenta is impaired, and the fetus does not receive the necessary nutrients.

The first stage is practically not dangerous, but the next three quickly flow into one another, leading to noticeable deterioration in the condition of the expectant mother.

Treatment of late gestosis

To carry out a full-fledged therapy, the doctor conducts an examination and prescribes a series of tests. At a later date, the question often arises that it is necessary to use an emergency delivery of the expectant mother, this will make it possible to prevent the further development of the disease.

The course of treatment may be different, depending on the form of preeclampsia during late pregnancy, if the signs are not too serious, then a course of drug therapy is carried out.

The course of treatment includes:

• taking drugs that normalize the work of the nervous system;
• medicines that will help improve heart function and strengthen the vascular system;
• medicines that lower blood pressure;
• the doctor prescribes drugs that relieve vascular spasms;
• adjustment of salt and water balance is carried out;
• antioxidant therapy;
• drugs that help improve metabolic processes;
• medicines to improve blood clotting.

Depending on the severity of the condition, a pregnant woman is usually prescribed the use of magnesium sulfate, the dosage is selected by the attending physician individually. This remedy helps to eliminate vascular spasms well.

Prophylaxis

To prevent gestosis from occurring at a later date, it is necessary to start its prevention even in the first weeks of bearing a baby, as well as during pregnancy planning. Previously, the expectant mother undergoes a full examination, and if the doctor discovers diseases of a chronic nature, then the woman must undergo treatment.

Before conceiving a baby, you should completely stop smoking and alcoholic beverages.

Additional preventive measures include:

• strict adherence to the daily regimen, a woman should fully rest, try to avoid stressful situations, and also get as many positive emotions as possible;
• the expectant mother should eat well;
• moderate loads should be performed daily, it can be a walk in the air or breathing exercises, you can use yoga classes or morning exercises.

It is advisable to exclude from the diet all fried and too spicy foods.