Summary of this article
Dizziness during pregnancy has its own characteristics for the early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy. In the early stages of pregnancy, dizziness is caused by changes in hormone balance and dehydration due to morning sickness. In the middle stages of pregnancy, iron is needed to produce blood for the baby, which can lead to anemia and make you more prone to dizziness. In the later stages of pregnancy, supine hypotension syndrome can make you more prone to dizziness. If you experience dizziness, be sure to drink fluids frequently, lie down, and rest until the symptoms improve.
Causes of dizziness
The causes of dizziness can be divided into the following:
The first is an ENT problem. Dizziness occurs when the sense of balance is impaired due to ear diseases such as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vestibular neuritis, Meniere’s disease, and sudden deafness. The second
is when dizziness occurs due to brain diseases such as cerebrovascular disorders such as cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage, and brain tumors.
Dizziness can also occur for a variety of other reasons, including problems with blood pressure, anemia, and the autonomic nervous system.
It is generally said that 60% of outpatient visits complaining of dizziness are due to ENT problems. However, there are many cases of dizziness during pregnancy where ENT examinations show no abnormalities. It is possible that there may be some underlying illness, so if you are experiencing dizziness, be sure to consult a doctor.
Symptoms of dizziness
Dizziness symptoms can be broadly divided into two types: rotational vertigo and non-rotational vertigo.
Rotational vertigo is the feeling of dizziness that makes you feel like you are spinning around.
Non-rotational vertigo is the feeling of floating, as if your feet are floating, or of dizziness that makes you feel dizzy. In some cases, dizziness is described as the feeling of blood draining from your head.
There is no fixed definition of dizziness as rotational or non-rotational depending on the illness. In general, rotational dizziness tends to occur suddenly, while non-rotational dizziness is said to be more likely to occur chronically.
Dizziness during pregnancy
Dizziness is a common symptom that can happen to anyone. Many women may be confused by the changes in their physical condition after pregnancy, thinking, “I’ve never experienced dizziness before…” In fact, dizziness during pregnancy has its own characteristics for the early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy.
Dizziness in early pregnancy
Changes in hormone balance
The most common cause of dizziness in pregnant women is the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy.
There are several types of hormones related to pregnancy.
The first is estrogen (follicular hormone), which matures the baby’s egg and prepares the body for pregnancy.
The second is progesterone (luteal hormone), which prepares the uterine lining to make it easier for the fertilized egg to implant, and protects the baby and the mother’s body from miscarriage after pregnancy.
In addition, the secretion of gonadotropins (gonadotropins, hCG), etc., increases rapidly after the fertilized egg implants.
When a woman’s hormone balance changes due to pregnancy, the balance of the autonomic nervous system is disturbed, causing various changes in her physical condition, one of which is dizziness.
The types and secretion balance of pregnancy-related hormones change significantly week by week.In addition, there are significant changes during childbirth and breastfeeding, so the degree of dizziness changes as the pregnancy and postpartum progresses.
It is important not to feel anxious or worried about the dizziness, but to view it as one of the physical changes that occur during pregnancy and to learn to live with it.
Dehydration due to morning sickness
“I can’t eat because of morning sickness”
“I vomit just from smelling something”
Morning sickness peaks around the 8th to 10th week of pregnancy and symptoms subside around the 16th week. However, some people suffer from morning sickness throughout their pregnancy.
During pregnancy, the amount of blood flowing through the mother’s body increases to maintain the growth of the baby. In addition, the influence of female hormones tends to cause blood vessels to expand, increasing the amount of blood required. Therefore, even if you drink the same amount of water as before pregnancy, you are relatively more likely to become dehydrated. If morning sickness makes it difficult to eat, and even drinking water makes you feel sick, you should be careful as you will quickly become dehydrated.
When you become dehydrated, you may experience symptoms such as concentrated urine, decreased frequency and amount of urine, dry skin, dizziness, dizziness, and headaches. Dizziness experienced when dehydrated occurs when blood pressure drops due to poor blood flow to the head.
In addition, the amount of blood flowing to the baby decreases, which may hinder the baby’s growth. In addition, the balance of minerals and nutrients may be disturbed, the function of internal organs may weaken, and physical strength may be lost, which may put the life of the baby and mother at risk. If you suspect dehydration due to morning sickness, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
Orthostatic hypotension
Orthostatic hypotension is low blood pressure that is noticed when you “stand up” (i.e. when you get up or stand up). You may experience darkness in front of your eyes, dizziness, nausea, headache, cold sweat, and ringing in your ears. Symptoms range from mild dizziness to severe dizziness that makes it impossible to stand, and in severe cases you may even lose consciousness, so caution is required.
Orthostatic hypotension is caused by the hormonal imbalance caused by pregnancy, which causes blood vessels throughout the body to expand, making it difficult to regulate blood pressure when changing positions. Some people suffer from this symptom even during the early stages of pregnancy, so it is important to be careful.
Dizziness when standing up
It is important to be careful, as dizziness is likely to occur when the balance of the autonomic nervous system is disturbed. Some people may have experienced a feeling of “dizzyness” or “lack of blood” when standing up or getting out of the bath. These symptoms are generally called “lightheadedness” and medically known as “orthostatic hypotension” or “neuromodulated syncope.”
In fact, the frequency of dizziness when standing up tends to increase during pregnancy. This is because blood pressure and autonomic nervous system balance change during pregnancy.
When pregnant, the amount of blood in the mother’s body increases and the blood vessels expand due to the influence of hormones, which makes blood pressure more likely to fluctuate. It is well known that high blood pressure, such as pregnancy-induced hypertension, can put mothers and babies in dangerous conditions. If blood pressure becomes too high, pressure is placed on the blood vessels in the brain, causing headaches and dizziness.
Conversely, a drop in blood pressure due to pregnancy can also cause dizziness. When you suddenly stand up, your blood pressure drops, causing orthostatic hypotension and dizziness. In addition, after eating, blood is taken up by the intestines to digest the food, so not enough blood is sent to the head, making you more likely to feel dizzy when standing up.
In addition, dizziness can occur after urination, sneezing, severe coughing, or extreme emotional changes due to an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system.
NIPT (new prenatal testing) can be taken from the early stages of pregnancy
Many women worry about whether changes in a mother’s physical condition during pregnancy, such as dizziness or morning sickness, will affect her baby and whether her baby is growing healthily.
In addition to general prenatal checkups, there is a test called NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing)
to check whether the baby has any illnesses or chromosomal abnormalities. Hiro Clinic’s NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing) is a test that checks whether the baby has a high or low risk of chromosomal abnormalities using blood drawn from the mother. It can be taken from about the 6th week of pregnancy (when pregnancy is confirmed by ultrasound), so you can find out the baby’s condition early. It is a safe test that does not carry the risk of miscarriage like amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.
In addition to the commonly detected trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) , trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) , and trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome) , Hiro Clinic NIPT can also check for abnormalities in the number of chromosomes in sex chromosomes and autosomes from 1 to 22, as well as the risk of structural abnormalities such as deletions, duplications, partial duplications, and autosomal recessive genetic diseases. In addition, the test can be taken from about the 6th week of pregnancy (when pregnancy is confirmed by ultrasound), so please consult us.
For more information about Hiro Clinic NIPT testing, please visit the following website.
Dizziness during mid-pregnancy
Anemia
When you become pregnant, not only the mother but also the baby needs blood. Iron is needed to produce blood to keep up with the baby’s growth. However, if you continue to eat the same diet as before pregnancy or if you are prone to anemia to begin with, you are at a higher risk of developing iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy.
The typical symptoms of anemia are dizziness, lightheadedness, palpitations, and shortness of breath. If a mother is anemic, the baby will not receive enough blood and will become anemic and suffer, so we regularly check for anemia during prenatal checkups.
During pregnancy, be sure to eat foods that are high in iron, such as liver, eel, Japanese mustard spinach, and seaweed, to avoid iron deficiency. If you have morning sickness and are having difficulty getting enough iron from your diet, try to supplement your iron intake with iron supplements or medicines that contain iron as prescribed by your doctor.
However, if you eat too much of any food, your nutritional intake will be unbalanced, so you need to eat a balanced diet. Also, there is a risk of taking too much iron from supplements, so if you are unsure, ask your doctor to prescribe medication.
Dizziness in late pregnancy
Supine hypotension syndrome
In the later stages of pregnancy, in addition to dehydration, orthostatic hypotension, and anemia, dizziness can also occur due to “supine hypotension syndrome.” Supine hypotension syndrome occurs when the weight of the growing baby puts pressure on the blood vessels in the abdomen while sleeping on your back, resulting in less blood being sent to the heart and brain, causing dizziness and a drop in blood pressure. If you feel faint or dizzy while lying on your back, turn to your left and lie down. Symptoms are expected to improve once blood flow is restored, so don’t rush and turn to your side and take your time to rest.
What to do if you experience dizziness
If you experience dizziness, drink plenty of fluids, lie down and rest until the symptoms improve. Changes in hormone balance and anemia are not something that can be improved overnight. In addition, try to eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep to prevent dizziness from occurring.
If you have severe morning sickness
If morning sickness continues and you are unable to eat or drink anything, and you lose several kilos, you will be given fluids via intravenous drip. Depending on the symptoms, hospitalization may be necessary. If you receive appropriate treatment and dehydration is improved, dizziness will generally improve. If you are suffering from symptoms, we recommend that you see a doctor as soon as possible.
If you experience dizziness when standing up in the morning, etc.
If you feel dizzy when standing up in the morning, for example, try to slowly change your position and move within your comfortable range.
If you feel dizzy when you stand up, try to change your position slowly and without rushing. If you are prone to getting dizzy when doing certain actions, such as standing up, make sure you have something to grab onto or a chair ready to use to avoid falling over. If you are prone to getting dizzy at work, you should consider a more physically friendly work style, such as sitting down.
If you have symptoms such as severe headaches or slurred speech
In addition to dizziness, if you experience symptoms such as a splitting headache, slurred speech, or difficulty moving your arms and legs, you may be suffering from some kind of brain or head disease. Please see a doctor immediately.
If you have shortness of breath or palpitations
The cause of dizziness may be related to the heart. It is rare for a woman to suddenly develop a heart condition during pregnancy, but if she is experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, severe swelling, or palpitations, we recommend that you see a doctor.
Summary
Dizziness during pregnancy is different from general dizziness, and is largely related to fluctuations in physical condition caused by pregnancy, such as changes in hormone balance and blood flow. However, there are also many cases where dizziness is caused by diseases of the heart or brain. If you become aware of dizziness or if it starts to affect your daily life, consult a medical institution as soon as possible.
【References】
- Japanese Society of Acute Medicine – Supine Hypotension Syndrome
Article Editorial Supervisor
Dr Hiroshi Oka
NIPT specialist clinic, MD
Graduated from Keio University, School of Medicine
