Swollen feet due to pregnancy poisoning: Signs and treatment

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Master, Doctor Trinh Thi Thanh Huyen - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Leg swelling is a common physiological condition during pregnancy. However, leg edema can also be an early sign of pregnancy toxicity. So how to recognize swollen feet due to toxic pregnancy or normal pregnancy?

1. What is pregnancy toxicity?

Most women go into pregnancy healthy and stay that way until the baby is born. In addition to a host of minor problems, such as back pain, morning sickness and constipation, a woman usually endures many other changes in her body as a result of pregnancy. However, in some cases, the mother begins the pregnancy with a medical problem or an abnormality that develops during the pregnancy. Some of these conditions affect only the mother, while others can affect both the mother and the baby.
Toxemia of pregnancy is a serious condition that sometimes occurs in the last weeks of pregnancy. It is characterized by increased blood pressure; swelling of the hands, feet and face; and protein in the urine. If the condition becomes worse, the mother may have convulsions, coma, headache, and the fetus may be stillborn.
The term "toxemia of pregnancy" is actually an incorrect spelling because many people believe that the condition is caused by toxic substances in the blood. Therefore, the term is now no longer used as before, being replaced by the term "gestational hypertension - pre-eclampsia - eclampsia".

The cause of toxemia in pregnancy is not clearly understood. This condition tends to appear more often in women giving birth for the first time, especially younger mothers and women from lower socioeconomic groups. One theory is that certain dietary deficiencies may be the cause of some cases. In addition, it is likely that some forms of preeclampsia and eclampsia are the result of a lack of blood flow in the uterus.

2. Swollen feet due to pregnancy poisoning

The symptoms of toxemia of pregnancy (which can lead to death if left untreated) are divided into three stages, each of which is increasingly severe:
Mild symptoms of preeclampsia including edema (bubbles under the skin caused by fluid accumulation in body tissues, usually swollen legs), slightly elevated blood pressure, and the presence of small amounts of protein in the urine. Severe symptoms of preeclampsia include edema, excessively high blood pressure, high protein in the urine, headache, dizziness, double vision, nausea, vomiting, and severe pain in the upper right part of the body. belly. Symptoms of eclampsia include seizures and coma. Some women with preeclampsia don't have any symptoms, so it's important for women to have regular antenatal visits to have their blood pressure checked and urine tested.

3. Signs to recognize swollen feet due to pregnancy poisoning

Edema, especially leg edema, is the first sign of pregnancy toxicity, especially in the last 3 months of pregnancy. If you press your finger into the ankle, then lift it, you will see the indentation of the fingers. Severe cases of edema can cause generalized edema.
However, swollen feet can also be seen in healthy pregnant women. To distinguish edema caused by pregnancy toxicity and normal level edema, pregnant women need to pay attention: When sleeping, you need to raise your feet, after one night, the swelling of the feet disappears, it is a normal phenomenon of leg edema in the fetus. final term. If done in this way, but the swelling persists, the pregnant woman should think about edema due to pregnancy toxicity.

4. Treatment of pregnancy toxicity

Preeclampsia and eclampsia cannot be completely cured until the pregnancy is over. Until then, treatment includes controlling high blood pressure and injecting medication into a vein to prevent seizures. Your doctor may also prescribe medication to stimulate urine production. In some severe cases, early delivery is necessary to ensure the mother's survival. However, even after delivery, symptoms of preeclampsia can last for 1 to 6 weeks or more. You can protect yourself by learning the symptoms of preeclampsia and seeing your doctor for regular prenatal care. Early detection of preeclampsia can reduce the risk of long-term problems for both mother and baby.

5. Preventing pregnancy poisoning

Currently, there is no preventive measure for toxicity during pregnancy. Although limiting salt in the diet can help reduce edema, it does not prevent the onset of high blood pressure or the appearance of protein in the urine. During prenatal visits, doctors often check a woman's weight, blood pressure, and urine. If gestational toxicity is detected early, complications can be minimized.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec International General Hospital has solved many difficult cases such as: polyhydramnios, placenta accreta, umbilical cord knotted, premature pregnancy, amniotic fluid transmission for pregnant women with amniotic deficiency, pre-eclampsia, infection pregnancy toxicity... In order to make the pregnancy process more convenient, Vinmec has deployed the PACKAGE PAPER PACKAGE package, including prenatal care, during childbirth and after birth. Pregnant women are monitored and carried out all necessary tests and ultrasounds to detect pregnancy abnormalities early. Giving birth will be as "light" as going on vacation, because the hospital has full equipment for mother and baby.
In particular, the medical examination and treatment process at Vinmec is performed by leading obstetricians in the industry. They are all well-trained both at home and abroad to soon detect obstetric diseases in the mother or abnormalities in the fetus for early examination and timely treatment.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

Reference source: health.howstuffworks.com