Are You Sick Everyday With Morning Sickness?

Are you sick everyday with morning sickness; are you having nausea and vomiting every day? That means you have severe morning sickness which is also known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

Morning sickness affects about 80% of pregnant women and it is one of the commonest reasons for a pregnant woman to seek medical attention and admit in the hospital. The definition of morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that occurs during the early stages of pregnancy without any cause. HG is a severe form of morning sickness that affects 0.3-3.6% of pregnant women. HG occurrence rate varies from 15.2%-81%, however, it is considered as a rare occurrence. The actual incidence of HG cannot be taken into account exactly as some of the pregnant women are treated at home or at an outpatient setting.

The exact cause of morning sickness is unknown, but many theories are put forward as the probable cause. Most of the theories say that the nausea and vomiting is due to the hormone beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). Any condition with high beta hCG levels are associated with severe morning sickness or HG.

Morning sickness and HG is commonly seen in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Morning sickness resolves in about 12-16 weeks of pregnancy, rarely it continues after 20 weeks. A cause that increase the beta hCG levels increase the risk of morning sickness and HG.

• Multiple pregnancy
• History of severe nausea and vomiting in the previous pregnancy
• First pregnancy
• Morning sickness that runs in the family
• Obese women
• A woman with motion sickness
• Experiencing high level of stress

The characteristic features of HG are severe nausea and vomiting which is associated with dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and weight loss more than 5% of pre-pregnancy weight.

If you have nausea and vomiting every day or if you can’t tolerate any oral food or drink for 24 hours or if you have not passed urine for 8 hours and your urine is dark in color or if you have lost weigh you need to be admitted in the hospital for further treatment.

There is no exact treatment for severe morning sickness and HG, each pregnancy is different and we can’t tell exactly how long it will take the nausea and vomiting to resolve. But when you are sick severely you need to admit to an hospital and take the necessary treatment as severe malnourishment of the mother can affect the baby’s growth.

• IV fluids – these are given to replace the fluid, electrolytes and nutrients that have been lost. Then in order to maintain the fluid balance IV fluids are continued. The ideal fluid would be normal saline with additional potassium added to it. Daily monitoring of electrolytes, especially sodium, potassium and chloride is important.
• Nasogastric feeds – tube is passed through the tube to the stomach and fluid can be given through this tube.
• Drugs–
  • First line antiemetics like cyclizine, promethazine, chlorpromazine to stop the nausea and vomiting.
  • Second line antiemetics are metoclopramide and ondansetron.
  • Proton pump blockers such as omeprazole, H2 blockers such as ranitidine and antacids can be given to prevent gastroesophageal reflux.
• Thiamine supplements
• After discharge have plenty of rest
• Avoid food with strong odors and food that induce nausea, have small meals frequently.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• It is said that ginger reduces nausea and vomiting, so have ginger tea and other foods containing ginger.

If you are sick every day with nausea and vomiting it can be severe morning sickness which is also known as hyperemesis gravidarum. That means you have severe morning sickness or even it can be hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). HG is a severe form of morning sickness that affects 0.3-3.6% of pregnant women. If you have nausea and vomiting every day or if you can’t tolerate any oral food or drink for 24 hours or if you have not passed urine for 8 hours and your urine is dark in color or if you have lost weigh you need to be admitted in the hospital for further treatment.

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Also Read:

• Natural Remedies For Morning Sickness
• Can Morning Sickness Start At 1st Week Of Pregnancy?
• Does Morning Sickness Feel Like The Flu?
• How Do I Know If I Have Morning Sickness?
• How Soon Can You Get Morning Sickness?
• How To Cope With Morning Sickness?
• Do You Feel Better After Throwing Up Morning Sickness?