Many women experience morning sickness (nausea) during pregnancy. This condition is generally harmless. While morning sickness can be quite uncomfortable, it typically goes away within 12 weeks. Hyperemesis gravid arum (HG) is an extreme form of morning sickness that causes severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.
Symptoms
HG usually starts during the first trimester of pregnancy. Less than half of women with HG experience symptoms their entire pregnancy, notes the HER Foundation.
Some of the most common symptoms of HG are:
- feeling nearly constant nausea
- loss of appetite
- vomiting more than three or four times per day
- becoming dehydrated
- feeling light-headed or dizzy
- losing more than 10 pounds or 5 percent of your body weight due to nausea or vomiting
Causes
Almost all women experience some degree of morning sickness during their pregnancy. Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Despite the name, morning sickness isn’t confined to the morning. It can occur at any time.
Morning sickness and HG seem to have a connection to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This is a hormone created during pregnancy by the placenta. Your body produces a large amount of this hormone at a rapid rate early in pregnancy. These levels can continue to rise throughout your pregnancy.
Treatment
Treatment for HG depends on the severity of your symptoms. Your doctor may recommend natural nausea prevention methods, such as vitamin B-6 or ginger. Try eating smaller, more frequent meals and dry foods, such as crackers. Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Severe cases of HG may require hospitalization. Pregnant women who are unable to keep fluids or food down due to constant nausea or vomiting will need to get them intravenously, or through an IV.
Medication is necessary when vomiting is a threat to the woman or child. The most commonly used anti-nausea drugs are promethazine and meclizine. You can receive either through an IV or as a suppository. Taking medication while pregnant can cause potential health problems for the baby, but in severe cases of HG, maternal dehydration is a more concerning problem. Talk to your doctor about the risks associated with any method of treatment.
