Morning sickness: symptoms, causes, and how to treat it

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What is morning sickness?

Morning sickness or emesis gravidarum is nausea that appears in pregnant women, especially in the morning.

Morning sickness usually occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy or appears as an early sign that you are pregnant.

This problem of nausea during pregnancy is very common. Reporting from the American Pregnancy Association, more than 50 percent of pregnant women experience nausea and vomiting in the morning.

Some women can feel this nausea until the second trimester. In fact, there are some women who experience this problem during pregnancy.

However, there is no need to worry because morning sickness is a normal condition and will in no way have a bad impact on the baby.

The reason is, nausea will go away on its own with increasing gestational age.

Once entering the gestational age of 12-14 weeks, nausea during pregnancy begins to decrease for many women.

Although this condition is quite common, morning sickness also can occur in quite severe conditions.

This condition is called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). HG can affect about 1 in 1,000 pregnant women.

Hyperemesis gravidarum is morning sickness which is more serious and must be treated. If not, this condition will have a bad effect on both mother and baby.

What are the symptoms of morning sickness?

General symptoms morning sickness is:

• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Gag
• Psychological effects, such as depression and anxiety

These symptoms usually appear since the beginning of pregnancy and will improve in the 12th week of pregnancy.

However, as mentioned earlier, it is possible that this condition will continue to appear during pregnancy.

Some of the symptoms may not be listed above. If you have questions about symptoms, consult your doctor.

When to go to the doctor

Most of the women feel that anxiety morning sickness is a condition that can harm the baby. But, you dont have to worry.

The reason is, the baby is protected by amniotic fluid that does not break easily just because of the pressure due to frequent vomiting.

However, you need to contact your doctor if you experience symptoms such as:

• Very dark colored urine.
• Absolutely not urinating in more than 8 hours.
• Unable to store food or fluids in the body for 24 hours.
• Feeling very weak, dizzy, or about to pass out when standing up.
• The heart beats irregularly.
• Stomach pain and headaches during early pregnancy.
• A fever of 38 degrees Celsius or more.
• Vomiting blood.
• Weight loss.

Prolonged nausea and vomiting can cause pregnant women to become malnourished. As a result, babies are at risk of malnutrition and birth weight that is below average.

Distinguishing nausea due to pregnancy and gastritis is a bit difficult because they both feel the same.

The cause of nausea during pregnancy is the presence of hormonal factors. Meanwhile, if you have heartburn, nausea is closely related to late eating.

Causes of morning sickness (Emesis gravidarum)

A number of people believe that morning sickness is a condition caused by fear and anxiety that triggers physical discomfort. However, no research has supported this claim.

Even so, there are several factors that cause it morning sickness, that is:

Estrogen levels

Increased levels of estrogen in the body, up to 100 times higher, during pregnancy are believed to contribute to nausea.

However, so far, no evidence has been found to show differences in estrogen levels between pregnant women with or without morning sickness.

Progesterone levels

Not only estrogen, progesterone levels during pregnancy will also increase. The high level of progesterone helps tighten the uterine muscles to prevent premature birth.

High levels of the hormone progesterone trigger various symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, such as nausea, breast tenderness, bloating, and changes. mood. This is also the cause of nausea during pregnancy.

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar is also thought to trigger nausea during pregnancy. Hypoglycemia often occurs in pregnant women because the placenta drains energy from the mother's body.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)

This hormone is first produced when the embryo begins to develop in the uterus after conception.

The level of hCG is actually a measure that the pregnancy is developing well. Usually this hormone is at its peak at 9 weeks of gestation.

Then, over time these levels begin to fall as the placenta starts to increase levels of other hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.

Therefore, from the 12th to the 16th week of pregnancy the nausea usually starts to decrease.

Sensitive sense of smell

During pregnancy, women usually tend to have a more sensitive sense of smell. This is thought to stimulate excessive nausea.

Nutritional deficiencies

Reporting from the page of Pregnancy birth and baby, deficiency of vitamin B6 in the body is thought to trigger nausea.

The reason is, vitamin B6 is an ingredient that has various important roles in the body. Starting from treating anemia, preventing the risk of heart disease, lowering high cholesterol to reducing it morning sickness.

Gastric problems

When progesterone production increases, this condition can adversely affect the lower esophagus.

This section is associated with the valve to the stomach which will also be affected. When these two parts are having a little trouble, it can trigger nausea.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone levels

This hormone is first produced when the embryo begins to develop in the uterus after conception. This hormone is formed from the cells that make up the placenta. This hormone can also trigger morning sickness in pregnant women.

The level of hCG is actually a measure that the pregnancy is developing well. Usually this hormone is at its peak at 9 weeks of gestation.

Then, over time these levels begin to fall as the placenta starts to increase levels of other hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.

Therefore, from the 12th to the 16th week of pregnancy the nausea usually starts to decrease.

Risk factors for morning sickness (emesis gravidarum)

Factors that put a person at risk for exposure morning sickness is:

• Nausea and vomiting during previous pregnancy
• History morning sickness in family
• History of motion sickness
• Migraine history
• History of nausea when using contraceptives containing estrogen
• Obesity — has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more
• Stress
• Multiple pregnancies, such as twins or triplets
• First pregnancy

Although moring sickness is normal and not dangerous, you still have to be vigilant.

Complications of morning sickness (emesis gravidarum)

In mild conditions, nausea during pregnancy usually will not cause any complications to the baby.

However, in severe cases such as hyperemesis gravidarum, you will experience various complications such as:

• Electrolyte imbalance in the body
• Dehydration
• Extreme depression and anxiety
• Malnutrition in the fetus due to the decreasing weight of the mother
• Low levels of potassium in the blood (hypokalemia)
• Injury to vital organs, including the liver, heart, kidneys and brain

Hyperemesis gravidarum is a condition that usually gets better in the fifth month of pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to get treatment immediately so that you don't end up with complications.

Treatment for morning sickness (emesis gravidarum)

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

Quoting from the Mayo Clinic, morning sickness is a condition that is usually diagnosed based on signs and symptoms.

The doctor will measure the mother's weight and perform an ultrasound examination on the baby to see any problems that may arise.

If your doctor suspects that you have hyperemesis gravidarum, he will perform a clinical examination, urine test, and blood test.

What are the treatment options for morning sickness (emesis gravidarum)?

If enough morning sickness In severe cases, doctors usually prescribe anti-nausea medications (antiemetics) to help relieve symptoms.

In addition, the doctor will also provide several prescription drugs to reduce nausea during pregnancy, namely:

Vitamin B6 and doxylamine

The combination of doxylamine (Unisom) and vitamin B6 supplements is recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to treat morning sickness during the first trimester.

However, this drug will usually cause a variety of mild side effects such as drowsiness, dry mouth, headaches during early pregnancy, and stomach pain.

Antiemetic

Antiemetics are anti-nausea medications commonly prescribed to women during pregnancy. This medicine is given if other treatments have not worked. There are several types of antiemetic drugs that are usually prescribed, namely:

• Prochlorperazine (Compazine)
• Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
• Trimethobenzamide (Tigan)
• Ondansetron (Zofran)

Meanwhile, for women with severe nausea, the doctor will give droperidol (Inapsine) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl).

Quoting from the NHS, antiemetics will be provided in tablet form to make it easier for you to consume them.

However, if you have difficulty swallowing it, your doctor will recommend injections or other forms of medicine.

Antihistamines and anticholinergics

Meclizine (Antivert), dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), and diphenhydramine are among the drugs that have been shown to be effective against nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

In addition, these drugs are certainly safe for consumption by pregnant women to treat nausea.

Motility drugs

Metoclopramide (Reglan) is a drug that helps improve the movement of the digestive tract.

This drug works by increasing pressure on the sphincter (a muscle that is shaped like a ring that closes an opening in the body) and is located in the lower esophagus.

Intravenous fluids

In people with cases of hyperemesis gravidarum, intravenous fluids are one of the important treatments that will be given.

Intravenous fluids help replace fluids lost due to persistent vomiting. Usually this treatment is given in a hospital while inpatient or in an emergency department.

Generally, doctors will combine intravenous fluids with antiemetics or anti-nausea medications.

This anti-nausea medication can be given in pill form to be taken directly, rectally (through the anus), or put into an IV.

Home remedies for morning sickness (emesis gravidarum)

In addition to using drugs, you can make diet and lifestyle changes as a way to reduce morning sickness (nausea during pregnancy), such as:

Acupressure

Acupressure is a traditional Chinese medicine technique by pressing certain points on the body that can reduce it morning sickness.

Sometimes acupressure can also be applied using a special band such as a bracelet on the forearm.

This technique is able to relieve symptoms of nausea and vomiting in pregnant women, although further research is still needed.

Acupuncture

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, acupuncture is one of the most widely used therapies to help treat nausea during pregnancy.

Although not scientifically proven, this method is quite helpful and effective for some women.

Hypnosis

Hypnosis is one way that is also quite widely used to treat morning sickness during pregnancy (morning sickness).

You can try this method because it is very safe and will not have a negative effect on the body and the fetus.

However, if you have hyperemesis gravidarum, the doctor will insert intravenous fluids into the body and provide a suitable anti-nausea medication.

Using aromatherapy

Based on research published by the Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, fragrances resulting from aromatherapy can be a safe choice for natural nausea remedies for pregnant women.

In this study, it was shown that the aroma of lemon is effective in reducing nausea during pregnancy.

You can also look for aromatherapy scents that make you feel better like lavender or peppermint .

Snack frequently

Often eating snacks during pregnancy helps make the stomach less full. Because a stomach that is too full or too empty can trigger feelings of nausea.

Therefore, eat snacks often. In the morning for example:

• Yogurt
• Apple
• Biscuits
• Nuts

You can also eat a few slices of bread to prop your stomach before a big meal.

Get up slowly

Sudden movements when getting up from a sleep position can sometimes trigger morning sickness. For that, try to get up slowly while sitting on the bed first before standing up.

Drink lots of water

Drinking lots of water helps to keep the body well hydrated. This habit also aims to replace the body fluids lost when vomiting.

Apart from plain water, you can consume diluted fruit juices, coconut water, tea, or soup.

Eat fresh food

Even though you are nauseous, you need to fill your body with nutritious food to be distributed to the fetus.

There are several food choices for pregnant women that can reduce morning sickness , is as follows:

• Fiber foods (fruits and vegetables to reduce stomach acid production)
• Cold foods (ice cream, salad, vegetable salad)
• Foods high in vitamin B6 (avocado, banana, spinach, fish, nuts)
• Ginger
• Lemon

The refreshing aroma of lemon and ginger can help soothe the stomach and reduce nausea.

Wearing loose clothes

Always try to wear loose clothing when pregnant to avoid nausea. Avoid wearing clothes that are too tight for pregnant women.

In addition to making you uncomfortable, this can also lead to more frequent nausea as a result of feeling too tight.

Get enough rest

It is very important to have adequate rest time while pregnant. When pregnant you tire more easily because you carry twice as much weight as usual.

Fatigue can also trigger nausea, so you need to rest. Choose a comfortable and safe sleeping position for pregnant women so they can sleep soundly.

If in doubt, consult a doctor.