We’ll tell you all about this condition that anyone can suffer but which pregnant women are more likely to suffer from.
Vagal response symptoms occur mainly in mid-pregnancy….CONTINUE READING
. Although they are considered a pathology, they don’t require treatment and, in most cases, have no major consequences.
Anyone can experience vagal response symptoms at some point in their lives. It’s estimated that up to 20% of people have had them at some time. However, it’s more common in pregnant women
due to the physiological changes that occur during pregnancy.
In vagal response, there are various symptoms such as flushing, paleness, a feeling of weakness, sweating, and blurred vision. Sometimes these symptoms can even lead to loss of consciousness
. The danger is in the fall or when driving or in similar situations.
Vagal response is also known as “vagal syncope”, “ vasovagal response ” or “neurocardiogenic syncope”
. It consists of a series of initial symptoms, or prodromes, often culminating in fainting.
They occur as a result of excessive stimulation of the vagus nerve
. This leads to the dilation of the blood vessels and a reduction in heart rate and blood pressure. Under these conditions, less blood reaches the brain and syncope, or fainting, occurs.
Vagal symptoms may be said to be caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure .
Not all pregnant women have vagal symptoms, but this problem is nonetheless very common. In some pregnant women, it becomes very frequent and severe.
Science hasn’t been able to establish a specific cause of vagal symptoms. However, it’s believed to be more common in people with a high peripheral venous load
. That is, in people who have some condition that hinders or slows the return of blood to the heart and brain.
Under usual conditions, vagal pictures occur for reasons such as the following:
However, vagal symptoms are more frequent in pregnant women for two reasons:
There’s also an anatomical reason why it’s easier for vagal syncope to occur during pregnancy. When the pregnant woman sits for a long time, the weight of the belly overstimulates the vagal nerve
. As we have already explained, this precipitates the condition.
Typically, in vagal conditions, certain symptoms occur before the loss of consciousness or fainting occurs. It’s very important to know about these initial symptoms, as this allows early action to prevent fainting.
The usual symptoms are as follows:
Fainting usually occurs after experiencing these symptoms. The loss of consciousness is of short duration and spontaneous recovery
, almost always in less than a minute.
There are some basic measures that can help to prevent vagal symptoms
. They’re especially useful for pregnant women who are very prone to suffer from them. These are simple habits that are well worth incorporating into your daily routine.
What you should do is the following:
It’s very important to know what to do when the first symptoms of vagal symptoms occur. The goal is to avoid syncope or fainting
, since a fall could be very dangerous for a pregnant woman.
The recommended measures are the following:
When regaining consciousness after fainting caused by vagal response symptoms, it’s best to lie down and not stand up until 15 to 30 minutes after the episode
. Pregnant women who frequently suffer from these symptoms should refrain from driving, as it can be very dangerous.
Although there’s no specific treatment for vagal symptoms, it’s best to tell your doctor immediately after the first episode
. This will allow a more detailed follow-up of the case….CONTINUE READING