Many mothers-to-be complain about difficulty breathing in pregnancy. Where does it come from shortness of breath in pregnancy and how to distinguish subjective feelings or harmless physiological symptoms from lesions that carry a risk of complications? What can they testify to breathing problems in pregnancy felt in the night? Why breathing problem i shortness of breath so often they concern women w III trimester pregnancy? Read on to find out the answers and learn more about these conditions.
Pregnancy is a condition in which numerous and very different ailments may arise, causing anxiety to patients. Many of these symptoms are physiological and harmless, but there are also some that may herald pregnancy complications. Let's take a closer look at what they most often result from breathing problems in pregnancyand also when dyspnoea appears in this state, it is worth consulting a doctor.
Dyspnoea in pregnancy: causes
Dyspnoea is a state of the subjective feeling of lack of air. The most common causes of dyspnea in pregnancy are physiological dyspnea and exacerbation of asthma. Unfortunately, other pulmonary complications - such as pulmonary edema or pulmonary embolismwhich are already dangerous for the pregnant woman.
Where does dyspnea appear in pregnancy? We don't quite know why this is so. However, it is known that the action of sex hormones such as progesterone has an effect on the respiratory system. Alveolar ventilation in the lungs increases, respiratory rate increases, and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood of the pregnant woman decreases. These changes are due to the increased need for oxygen in pregnancy. The volume of blood that the lungs need to oxygenate increases and the heart works faster to deliver it to all organs.
Dyspnea i breathing problems in pregnancy: symptoms
It is estimated that approx 60-70% of pregnant women experience a feeling of physiological dyspnea. This type of breathlessness may even appear at the beginning of pregnancy, in the first or second trimester. What are the most common breathing problems during this period pregnancy? Patients report, among others:
- difficulty breathing air,
- "Shallow breathing",
- deterioration of exercise tolerance.
How to know if we are dealing with a physiological one shortness of breath in pregnancyor any other kind breathing problems? May be helpful a pulse oximeter test that assesses the oxygen level in the blood of a pregnant woman. In a patient with physiological dyspnea, it will usually be normal.
In a situation where the expectant mother notices disturbing symptoms, such as: persistent cough, chest pain when breathing, blue fingertips, palpitations, dizziness, wheezing, should consult a doctor in order to rule out pathological causes of dyspnea.
Asthma exacerbation a shortness of breath in pregnancy
If you had respiratory diseases before pregnancy, your breathlessness may be due to an exacerbation of these diseases. About 1/3 of women suffering from asthma during pregnancy experience an exacerbation of the disease. In this case, the advice of the attending physician and the pulmonologist should be sought.
Difficulty breathing in pregnancy: when do they get worse?
Feeling shortness of breath in women Pregnant usually gets worse in a sitting or lying position - and therefore also at night, while sleeping. If the patient was Pregnant reports difficulties with breathing or dyspnoea after physical exertion, walking, lifting, cleaning, it is most often a physiological condition associated with reduced efficiency of the body at this time.
Breathing problems in pregnancy at night
Being Pregnant, the patients complain about breathing problemsthat show up mostly at nighty. Rsloping belly often makes it difficult for expectant mothers to find a comfortable sleeping positionand its pressure on internal organs can cause discomfort and result in a feeling of breathlessness. During pregnancy, however, we are dealing with a higher risk of developing serious respiratory disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea. If dyspnoea is accompanied by symptoms such as snoring, chronic fatigue, headaches or insomnia, a specialist should be consulted.
Difficulty breathing in III trimester pregnancy
During pregnancy the uterus gradually enlarges, resulting in the stretching of the abdominal muscleswhich are additional respiratory muscles. As a result, their activity is disturbed, which can also translate into breathing problems in pregnancy. Around 36 weeks of pregnancy, the uterus is large enough to reach the costal arches. This, in turn, causes the the diaphragm rises by as much as 4-5 cm, and the chest volume decreases by 5-7 cm. Most of the patients at this stage pregnancy reports shortness of breath and difficulty getting full breath. In the following (last) weeks pregnancyas the baby moves down into the birth canal breathing problems become less and less noticeable - closer to labor, patients report that they breathe easier.
In the third trimester, the patient's movements are felt quite strongly. It often happens that a strong kick of a toddler may "take the breath" of the future mother for a moment.
Anxiety and stress a breathing problems in pregnancy
Sometimes feeling short of breath and difficulty breathing in pregnancy are associated with the patient's increasing anxiety and the stress she experiences with her condition. All of this can increase her subjective feeling of breathlessness, which should subside over time.
Author: Ewa Chotkowska – Gynecologist, midwife at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Mother and Child
Sources:
Obstetrics according to the principles of EBM, edited by V. Berghelli;
G. Bręborowicz, Maternal and Fetal Medicine
