Pregnancy is accompanied not only by joyful moments and impressions, but also by malaise, as well as concomitant diseases. These include thrombophlebitis during pregnancy, how dangerous it is, how to treat it, and what are the causes of the disease? We will answer all these and other questions in this article.
What is thrombophlebitis?
This is a vascular disease of the veins, which in pregnant women most often affects the lower limbs. This is a more severe form of the disease than varicose veins. If thrombophlebitis is not cured in time, then it can develop into thrombosis, which can lead to death.
The danger of the disease lies in the inflammation of the veins and impaired circulation, as a result of which blood clots form. It is especially important to diagnose and treat thrombophlebitis during pregnancy in time, because this category of patients is more vulnerable. In addition, treatment should be prescribed one that does not harm the fetus, because otherwise it can cause disorders and pathologies. The main thing is to remember that with timely diagnosis and treatment, you can reduce risks to a minimum.
Causes of the disease
Thrombophlebitis during pregnancy is quite common in women, this is due to changes that occur in the body from the moment of conception. The blood thickens significantly and the pressure decreases, which means that the veins are in the risk zone, especially those located in the lower limbs and pelvis. The main reason is the appearance of clots in the blood, they begin to clog the veins. A number of reasons affect the degree of blood viscosity:
- Heredity. If there is a predisposition to such a disease, then for sure it will accompany the woman during pregnancy.
- Low activity during a long time or lack of mobility at all.
- Anemia that develops even before pregnancy.
- Getting injuries, especially fractures of the lower extremities.
- An increase in the level of blood coagulation that was detected before pregnancy and has not been eliminated.
- Decreased immunity, regardless of the reasons for this decrease.
- Hormonal changes.
- Problems with blood vessels or heart.
- The presence of infectious diseases.
We mentioned a number of factors that provoke the appearance of varicose veins, if left untreated, then the disease will soon become more severe. We put a genetic predisposition in the chapter, because hereditary thrombophlebitis during pregnancy appears in 8 cases out of 10. It is necessary to prevent the disease so as not to fall into the risk group.
Symptoms in the acute stage
Symptoms depend on the severity of the disease - acute and chronic stages, as well as on which veins are affected - superficial or deep. Consider the symptoms that directly indicate the disease in general, as well as in the acute stage:
- The appearance of aching pain in the calf, severe swelling and pain during compression of the affected areas. They can sometimes be red and hot. The skin becomes denser, and a convex vein appears in the affected area. These signs are the first and indicate the presence of thrombophlebitis during pregnancy.
- The acute stage in a deep vein is accompanied by sharp pain and again swelling, the body temperature rises sharply, the general condition noticeably worsens.
- The acute course of the disease with damage to the superficial vein causes an increase in temperature, swelling and pain, as well as compaction during palpation. It is worth checking the lymph nodes, in most cases they can increase, and the temperature reaches 38 degrees.
If you find at least one of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor who is pregnant. It is he who, through tests and blood tests, using ultrasound to determine the presence of the disease, its degree and variety. Thrombophlebitis of the lower extremities during pregnancy is a serious phenomenon that must be treated on time in order to avoid negative consequences for both mother and baby.
Symptoms in the chronic stage
The chronic stage is no less dangerous than acute, but the symptoms do not occur spontaneously, they do not occur sharply, but gradually develop, increasing strength and frequency. What are the symptoms of thrombophlebitis during pregnancy in the chronic stage? As in the case of the acute stage, we divide the situations depending on the location of the vein:
- Chronic disease with deep vein lesion is characterized by periods of exacerbation. In this case, edema is again observed, they become more with physical activity - walking or prolonged standing. If the period of exacerbation has subsided and the stage of remission has begun, then this will not bring any discomfort to mom.
- Chronic disease affecting the superficial vein is characterized by the appearance of a red spot at the site of inflammation, as well as limited edema. In especially advanced and complex cases, there is a fever and sharp pain at the site of inflammation.
Factors that increase the risk of disease
As we indicated above, the main factor in the appearance of thrombophlebitis during pregnancy is poor heredity. But also for those girls who do not have a predisposition at the genetic level, the disease occurs. We identify the factors that trigger the onset of the disease:
- Obesity or overweight, both before pregnancy, and its rapid set during it.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Taking hormonal drugs, even if they were used before pregnancy.
- Gestosis as a form of complication in bearing a baby.
If you exclude the above causes of the disease and these factors, you can warn yourself against this negative phenomenon, which can ruin the joy of pregnancy.
How is the diagnosis carried out?
First of all, you need to visit a doctor and describe in detail all the sensations and ailments that a woman experiences in a position. The doctor collects a medical history and checks the heredity, directs the pregnant woman for blood tests and examines her.
First of all, you need to take a blood test for coagulability with a measurement of the prothrombin index, D-dimer. After this, there is a need for ultrasound of the veins located in the lower extremities. These studies will show the fact of the disease.
If the presence of the disease is confirmed, you need to determine its location and the size of the thrombus, as well as the tone of the walls of the veins. For this, additional studies are being conducted. Based on this, treatment is already being prescribed.
Treatment. Classic method
Remember, the treatment of the disease alone is prohibited, you need to see a doctor!
Based on the results of studies conducted by a doctor, the stage of the disease is determined, as well as the appearance of the affected vein, the location of the disease and its extent. Based on this, either the classic or surgical method of treatment is used.
The classical method for the treatment of thrombophlebitis of the lower extremities during pregnancy does not provide for hospitalization of a pregnant woman. Therapy includes the following steps:
- The purpose of bed rest, depending on individual indicators, its duration is determined.
- Rubbing the affected areas with ointments and agents that are allowed to pregnant women.
- Apply compresses within 2 or 3 days from the start of treatment.
- Physiotherapy.
- If there is external inflammation, then antibiotic therapy should be carried out.
- Applying warm compresses to disperse the blood and activate blood circulation.
- Maintaining the affected area on a hill so that the blood does not stagnate.
- Bandaging the affected areas with special elastic dressings, the use of compression underwear.
Reviews of thrombophlebitis during pregnancy show that the care and support of a pregnant woman from a loved one is extremely important. After all, applying compresses and rubbing limbs on your own is quite difficult, especially if the gestation period is already long. Also, moral support is always important: feeling love and care, the girl will quickly recover.
Surgical treatment
The use of this method is indicated in cases of deep vein damage, when it is pointless to use superficial methods. The surgeon takes up work when the pregnant woman cannot move.
In such cases, an operation is performed, during which the specialist bandages the affected area, seals or stretches the diseased vein (cuts it and removes it together with the surrounding tissues and fiber). If the disease is started or is actively progressing, urgent hospitalization is required.
The danger of thrombophlebitis
Any disease or abnormalities in the girl's position can affect the development of the baby. After analyzing the essence of the disease and its course in women in position, we note the danger of thrombophlebitis during pregnancy. Due to the presence of clots in the pregnant woman’s blood, blood vessels are clogged, which reduces the blood flow velocity in the placenta, which means that the fetus is not saturated with nutrients and oxygen. Oxygen starvation helps to slow the development of the child and in general the cessation of his existence, that is, death. In addition, vascular thrombosis in the mother's body causes the development of pathologies and diseases of the fetus, placental detachment, as well as fetal freezing and natural termination of pregnancy, i.e. miscarriage, can occur.
It is extremely important to examine a woman in the second half of pregnancy, because just at this time the risk of thrombophlebitis appears and develops.
Preventive actions
Noting how thrombophlebitis affects pregnancy, we realized that this is an extremely negative phenomenon. It is better to carry out preventive measures and prevent the onset of the disease than to treat it. For prevention, it is necessary:
- A balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, excluding fried, spicy and salty foods, as well as smoked.
- In the event of a deficiency of vitamins in the girl’s body, their intake in combination is necessary.
- Healthy daily routine - sleep at least 8 hours a day, walks in the fresh air, rest, as well as positive emotions.
- Monitoring the state and monitoring the dynamics of well-being. If the pregnant woman gets worse, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Thrombophlebitis during pregnancy is a very unpleasant phenomenon, therefore, patients with a predisposition are prescribed drugs with acetylsalicylic acid as a prophylaxis.
Conclusion
Pregnancy is a joyful and long-awaited process for many that demonstrates a true miracle - a whole person grows out of a small cell. During these 9 months it is very important to be healthy. A disease such as thrombophlebitis during pregnancy often haunts women not only with a genetic predisposition, but also quite healthy. Therefore, you should be extremely attentive to your health, with the help of preventive measures you can eliminate the disease in the bud.