Why do pregnant women’s hands become swollen and painful?

During pregnancy, changes occur in every system of a woman's body, and as the pregnancy progresses, some differences will also appear on the outside of the woman's body. For example, many women will experience swollen hands in the late stages of pregnancy, and some even experience pain. So what exactly causes women's hands to swell and ache during pregnancy? If you want to know, you can take a look with me!

The main reason for swelling of the hands and feet in the late pregnancy is that the enlarged uterus compresses the veins and causes obstruction of venous return. During pregnancy, the blood is diluted and the blood volume increases, but the increase in red blood cells is not as great as that in plasma. The blood becomes relatively thinner, but the plasma protein does not increase. The plasma colloidal osmotic pressure decreases, and the movement of water into the tissue spaces can also cause edema.

In addition, there are many other causes of edema, including changes in endocrine function. For example, an increase in hormones secreted by the placenta and aldosterone secreted by the adrenal glands, which cause sodium and water retention in the body. Water accumulation in the body and a corresponding decrease in urine volume are also causes of edema.

Severe edema is mostly caused by pregnancy complications in pregnant women, or internal and external diseases, such as heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, thyroid disease or malnutrition caused by other reasons. After pregnancy, severe edema is generally pathological and requires treatment to improve.

Pregnant women with swollen hands must ensure that they eat animal foods such as livestock, poultry, meat, fish, shrimp, eggs, milk, and bean foods 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. Vegetables and fruits contain multiple vitamins and trace elements necessary for the human body. They can improve the body's resistance, enhance metabolism, and also have detoxification and diuresis effects. Pregnant women should eat vegetables and fruits every day.

After reading the above content shared by the editor, I believe you now know why women’s hands become swollen during pregnancy, right? The editor believes that there are many reasons why women’s hands become swollen during pregnancy, so you can’t be careless. You must go to a regular hospital for examination. If it is caused by a physical illness, you must seek timely treatment under the guidance of a doctor.