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When a woman is carrying a child inside her, several precautions must be taken to ensure that everything happens as smoothly as possible and that the baby is born without any health problem. However, care should not be taken thinking only of the baby’s health , but also of the mother. Since this is a period when the woman faces drastic changes in her body and some care is needed so that she does not have future problems.
Contrary to what many people think, it is not uncommon for pregnant women to acquire some diseases that, for the most part, are mild and easily treatable. But there are also risks during pregnancy, which are known to all, and these can lead to more serious complications and require more intense treatment.
Healthy Women
Even in the healthiest women , possible problems and complications can be detected or identified early with prenatal examinations , for this reason, pregnancy is a period that requires maximum attention to the mother’s health.
Hypertensive Women
Women who have conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure may be at a higher risk of developing problems during pregnancy. The most suitable for women who present this type of symptom is, first, to see your gynecologist and talk about your physical conditions, so the monitoring will start early and the risk of having problems will decrease.
Risk Pregnancy Care
After these women become pregnant, they may even need special care, often from a team of specialist doctors . The team may include an obstetrician (who may also be an expert in treating the disease during pregnancy), an expert in the disease and other health professionals (such as nutritionists, for example).
We made a list with the main diseases that women acquire during pregnancy and how to avoid them or how to identify them in the best possible way so that there is an early and efficient treatment. Diseases such as urinary tract infection, gestational diabetes and excessive weight gain are totally treatable, but attention must be focused on them so that they do not develop and complicate the life of the pregnant woman.
1 – Urinary infection
Urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection that affects the urinary tract. It usually occurs due to the low immunity of women during pregnancy, which allows some fungi and bacteria to proliferate more easily in the urinary canal. The urinary canal during pregnancy is more dilated than normal, that is, the perfect scenario for an infection to occur.
Symptoms of Urinary Infection
The main symptoms of urinary infections are:
- Pain or burning when urinating;
- Fever;
- Tiredness;
- Tremors;
- Constant desire to use the bathroom;
- Strong pressure in the belly
Other symptoms such as strong odor in the urine, nausea, back pain, itchy vagina and discharge are also very common. Because these are natural actions of the human body, it is very difficult to avoid such infections , but it is well known that they can occur mainly in the first trimester of pregnancy and also in the last, which can even cause a premature birth.
Treatment
Therefore, if you experience these symptoms mainly in the first or last trimester of pregnancy, see your doctor to start the treatment, which is basically done through medications that are not harmful to the health of the mother and baby.
2 – Gestational Diabetes
One of the most common diseases during pregnancy, gestational diabetes occurs when the body is unable to process sugars and starches (carbohydrates), which greatly elevates blood sugar levels.
Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes
The urge to urinate and a constant thirst are warning signs to see a doctor. Usually, gestational diabetes can be identified during prenatal examinations , with the measurement of the blood sugar levels of the pregnant woman or also known as the glycemic curve test .
Treatment
Most women with this disease can control their blood sugar levels by following a healthy eating plan from their doctor and practicing physical activities regularly, of course always within the limitations that a pregnant woman has.
In certain cases, some women also need insulin to keep their blood sugar levels under control. Taking all these precautions is extremely important because poorly controlled diabetes increases the risk of having a premature birth or that the baby is born with blood or even respiratory complications. Gestational diabetes usually disappears after pregnancy , but there are cases of women who continued with the disease even after giving birth.
3 – Anemia
Another disease that is among the most common in pregnant women, anemia occurs in about one third of women, usually in the second trimester of pregnancy. The most common causes are the lack of iron, vitamin B12 or zinc in the body, which are extremely necessary nutrients, especially for pregnant women.
Generally, if pregnant women have hereditary anemia, the risk of problems increases during pregnancy. When anemia develops, the blood becomes unable to carry the level of oxygen it normally carries.
Symptoms of Anemia
At first, anemia does not cause any obvious symptoms but can be identified by:
- Fatigue;
- Weakness and dizziness;
- Pallor;
- Low blood pressure;
- Fainting.
Be aware of these symptoms and see a doctor as soon as possible if you feel that you may be developing some form of anemia.
Prevention and Treatment
Prevention of anemia during pregnancy is basically a balanced diet rich in iron with foods such as beans, cereals and dark vegetables in general, since iron deficiency anemia (iron deficiency anemia) is the most common type of appearance in pregnant women . If you have a hereditary tendency or are at risk, it is also important to have all the tests needed to detect anemia as soon as possible.
4 – Thyroid Disorders
Thyroid disorders can be present even before a woman becomes pregnant, or they can develop during pregnancy. Being pregnant does not alter the symptoms of thyroid disorders.
There are several types of thyroid disorders and each of them can affect the fetus in a different way. The most common are hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism , which speed up or slow down metabolism and can cause the baby to grow too slowly or too fast inside the woman.
Thyroid Care in Pregnancy
If a woman has or has had a thyroid disorder, she and the baby should be monitored closely during and after pregnancy. Doctors need to check them regularly and have blood tests to measure levels of thyroid hormones.
Treatment
In most cases the treatment of the most common diseases during pregnancy is done in a simple way and which, if done correctly, is unlikely to cause major problems for the woman or the baby.
The most important thing, however, is to understand that diseases exist and will always exist , but they need not be the protagonist of your pregnancy, so take the necessary precautions so that diseases are only a small part of this very special period of your life. .
See Also: Pre Eclampsia – What It Is And How To Avoid
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
