Causes and treatment of leg edema in pregnant women

Pregnant women's legs often have edema. Do you know why you have edema? Many situations are unpredictable during pregnancy, and it is difficult for us to detect and deal with them in time. However, it doesn't matter if there are problems later. We now have good treatment methods. Let me introduce you to some situations of pregnant women's leg edema!

1. For most pregnant women, lower limb edema is a common physiological phenomenon, which has little effect on the growth and development of the fetus and the health of the mother. There are three main reasons:

1. Obstruction of blood return to the lower limbs: The enlarged uterus in the late pregnancy compresses the inferior vena cava, which obstructs blood return to the lower body, increases venous pressure, and causes edema in the lower limbs.

2. Endocrine changes: After pregnancy, the secretion of estrogen and aldosterone increases, and water and sodium are retained in the body, causing edema.

3. Hemodilution: During pregnancy, blood volume increases, but plasma protein does not increase, so the blood is relatively diluted, the plasma colloidal osmotic pressure decreases, and water moves to the tissue spaces, causing edema.

4. Pathological lower limb edema mainly requires caution against pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome.

2. Treatment and Nursing

1. Eat enough protein. Make sure to eat meat, fish, seafood, shellfish, eggs, milk and dairy products, soy products, etc. every day. This type of food is rich in high-quality protein. Pregnant women with anemia should also eat animal liver 2-3 times a week to supplement iron.

2. Expectant mothers should remember to eat enough vegetables and fruits every day. Vegetables and fruits contain many vitamins and trace elements necessary for the human body. They can improve the body's resistance, enhance metabolism, and also have detoxification and diuretic effects.

3. Don’t eat too salty food. When you have edema, you should eat light food and avoid eating too salty food, especially pickles, to prevent the edema from getting worse.

4. Pregnant women with severe edema should control their water intake appropriately.

5. Eat less or no food that is difficult to digest and easy to cause bloating (such as fried glutinous rice cakes, sweet potatoes, onions, potatoes, etc.) to avoid causing abdominal distension, poor blood circulation, and aggravating edema.

If the edema does not disappear after rest, it will gradually extend to the thighs, vulva and even lower abdomen. In severe cases, it may also affect the upper limbs and face, accompanied by symptoms such as decreased urine volume and significant weight gain. If your blood pressure is high and there is protein in your urine, you should be alert to the possibility of pregnancy-induced hypertension and seek prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Leg edema in pregnant women can actually be considered a relatively common condition. You don’t have to worry too much. It is important to maintain a good attitude. We cannot ignore the situation. Mood plays a big role in the treatment of diseases. So here we provide you with an introduction to these situations, hoping to help you!