Hyperemesis Gravidarum – A rare problem in Pregnancy

Hyperemesis Gravidarum or HG is an extreme case of morning sickness,which is accompanied by extreme nausea, vomiting and prevents food intake and fluids. This is considered to be a rare problem in the pregnant woman and is often confusing to diagnose, as it is predominantly haunted by vomiting and nausea which are anyway normal signs during pregnancy.

Approximately 0.3% to 2 % of pregnant females suffer from this problem. The word Hyperemesis Gravidarum comes from the Greek word hyper which means excessive and emesis which means vomiting. Gravida comes from the Latin word which means pregnant. So the term Hyperemesis Gravidarum means vomiting in pregnancy.

Causes of Hyperemesis Gravidarum

The cause of this rare pregnancy problem is still unknown. Some theories hold that the pregnant women undergo a lot of hormonal changes. Hyperemesis is related to an adverse reaction to the hormonal level in the woman. In particular Hyperemesis is traced to the levels of beta HCG hormones or the beta Human Chorionic gonadotrophin hormone in the body. It is said that an increased Beta HCG results in Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

It is more common in cases where there are multiple pregnancies, and also where there is a gestational trophoblastic disease. So this theory also covers the doubt and the query as to why Hyperemesis Gravidarum is normally found in the first trimester that is during the 8th to the 12th week of gestational pregnancy. HCG levels are highest during this time and then later get reduced. Estrogen is said to produce a lot of regurgitation feeling and also nausea. This is due to the acids in the stomach. Another theory holds that the leptin levels could lead to Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Another angle to the cause of this rare pregnancy problem is the genetic component.

Symptoms of Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Sometimes the pregnant woman aggravates her morning sickness problem by remaining hungry, or by getting fatigued or sometimes the prenatal vitamins containing iron also give her the problem. Besides the morning sickness can also be increase by diet changes and odours.

Under these conditions the symptoms of Hyperemesis Gravidarum remain hidden as it is difficult to find out if the normal morning sickness has got aggravated or whether it is the onset of Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

Yet we can conclude say that when the Hyperemesis Gravidarum is serious then it could result in the following symptoms :

• There is a sudden substantial reduction of body weight as compared to the pre pregnancy weight. This weight loss could be around 5%.
• The pregnant woman has a lot of constipation and also sometimes suffers from ketosis.
• There are nutritional deficiencies in the woman.
• The pregnant woman faces a lot of metabolic imbalances.
• A visible change in the taste of the individual is noticed during the onset of Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

• The brain is very sensitive to motion.
• The stomach seems to be full. The food leaves the stomach at a slower rate.
• Pregnancy has a lot of hormonal changes ,but during Hyperemesis Gravidarum, the change is even more.
• There is a feeling that the food and the contents in the stomach move back and forth in the stomach.
• There is a lot of emotional and physical stress on the body.

• Sometimes there are broken blood vessels in the eyes .  This is called subconjunctival hemorrhage.
• The woman has a lot of difficulty with daily routine.
• The pregnant woman hallucinates.

There are many women with Hyperemesis Gravidarum who lose as much as around 30% of their weight. Many are sensitive to odours too. This is called hyper olfaction. If the woman feels very nauseatic then it is called hyper salivation.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum normally occurs in early pregnancy and remains for a long time. while most pregnant women are relieved from their morning sickness stress, most women suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum would rarely feel this relief.

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