By EKalman September 20, 2022 - 1:43am

Pregnancy can be a happy period in the life of each woman. But it can come with certain health problems. They commonly affect the mother, but they can take a toll on the fetus’s health. For this reason, it is important to be aware of them. By managing the common pregnancy complications you can preserve your own health and the health of your baby.

Below are 5 common complications that develop during pregnancy and effective ways to deal with them.

1. High blood pressure
High blood pressure is a common pregnancy complication. High blood pressure occurs when the arteries that carry blood from the heart to other body organs become narrow. This increases the pressure of the blood in your arteries.

Because high blood pressure makes it harder for your heart to pump blood, the blood flow to your placenta decreases. As a result, the placenta becomes deprived of oxygen and essential nutrients that your fetus needs. This can impair the growth of the fetus and put you at risk of preterm labor.

Untreated high blood pressure during pregnancy can result in a life-threatening health issue called preeclampsia. This condition causes extremely high blood pressure and can result in serious liver and kidney damage.

The symptoms of high blood pressure include nosebleeds, headache, irregular heartbeat, and fatigue. If you have the symptoms, it is important to discuss them with your pregnancy doctor. The specialist can recommend medications to normalize blood pressure and prevent complications.

2. Anemia
During pregnancy, your body needs more iron than normal for an increased amount of blood. But when you don’t increase your intake of iron, iron deficiency, called anemia, may occur. Anemia is a serious issue associated with preterm labor and low birth weight.

Anemia can produce symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, pale skin, and dizziness. If you have these symptoms, be sure to report them to your pregnancy doctor. Your doctor can prescribe you iron medications or adjust your diet to ensure your body gets enough iron.

3. Back pain
It isn’t uncommon to experience back pain during pregnancy, especially in the first weeks. Because of changes that occur in the body during pregnancy, your ligament becomes softer to prepare you for labor. This adds pressure on the joints in your lower abdomen and pelvis causing back pain.

There are a lot of ways to relieve pregnancy back pain. You can ask your doctor about special bandages that support your back and reduce pressure on the joint. Your doctor may also recommend exercises to strengthen back muscles. Strong muscles support your joints and can help relieve pain.

4. Severe nausea and vomiting
It is normal to experience some nausea during pregnancy. But persistent severe nausea and vomiting(hyperemesis gravidarum) is a reason for concern. Other symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum include decreased appetite, dehydration, severe weight loss, and dizziness. Because it can affect the fetus’s health, most women with this condition require hospitalization.

While the cause of hyperemesis gravidarum isn’t clear, doctors can help manage its symptoms and prevent more severe complications. For this reason, in presence of the hyperemesis gravidarum symptoms, you need to contact your health care practitioner as soon as possible.

5. Infections
Infections, especially sexually transmitted infections, are often diagnosed during pregnancy. They can lead to serious complications during pregnancy and impair the fetus’s health and development. Some infections can be passed from you to your baby through the birth canal or during childbirth. Most of these infections can be treated and prevented.

The symptoms of STI include abnormal vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, itching, and pimples in the vaginal area. If you are pregnant and suspect you have STI, it is important to discuss it with your gynecologist. During the first weeks of pregnancy, most STIs can be treated with medications to prevent complications and preserve your fetus’ health.