A high pulse during pregnancy may indicate disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular and hormonal systems. The danger of this condition exists for both the mother and the fetus - oxygen starvation occurs, which provokes a disruption in the development of the unborn child, increasing the risk of premature birth and miscarriage.
In the 1st trimester, the limit is 100 beats per minute, in the 2nd trimester - 120 beats. Figures of 140 beats or higher in a state of relative rest make it necessary to provide immediate medical attention.
At home and with the permission of a doctor, a pregnant woman herself can lower her heart rate by walking, doing yoga, and normalizing her daily routine. You can also take gentle sedatives, but strictly after a specialist’s prescription.
What can be dangerous about a high heart rate during pregnancy?
A high pulse during pregnancy is an abnormal condition that may indicate the development of various pathological conditions:
- infectious processes;
- diseases of the heart and blood vessels in the mother and fetus;
- anemia;
- kidney and liver diseases.
Often it is a rapid pulse that becomes the only symptom of the above diseases, although they can also occur secretly. The danger is that an increased pulse provokes malfunctions of the mother’s heart. This entails chronic oxygen starvation of the fetus, and the result can be disturbances in the development and formation of its organs and systems.
Risk factors
Quite often, tachycardia is characterized as a sign of pregnancy in the early stages. However, there are other factors that provoke this condition. These include the following:
- Excess weight.
- Allergies to vitamins and medications.
- Anemia.
- Bronchial asthma.
- Excessive thyroid function.
- Frequent consumption of tea and coffee.
- Inflammation of the respiratory system.
- Bleeding in case of ectopic pregnancy, trauma, early placental abruption.
- Toxicosis, during which exhaustion and dehydration of the body are observed.
- Frequent stress, excitability, anxiety.
- A sharp increase in temperature. It is known that one degree increases the pulse by about 10-12 units.
- Sepsis, infections.
- Bad habits: drug addiction, alcoholism, nicotine addiction.
High pulse during pregnancy in the third trimester: causes of occurrence
A high pulse during pregnancy in the third trimester may be due to physical reasons - the woman’s body is forced to pump a large amount of blood through the pulmonary and systemic circulation and do this at high speed. This is the only way to provide oxygen and nutrients to the organs and systems of not only the pregnant woman, but also the unborn child.
But an excessive increase in indicators may indicate the development of serious conditions:
- nephropathy – problems with kidney function;
- gestational diabetes;
- liver dysfunction;
- disturbances in the production of thyroid hormones.
The listed conditions can provoke premature birth, eclampsia, intrauterine fetal death and death of the woman.
Is it normal for a pregnant woman to have an elevated heart rate in the 1st-2nd trimester?
In the 1st-2nd trimester, pregnant women may have an increased pulse for physiological reasons: if it does not exceed normal values by more than 20 units, then there is nothing to worry about. This “behavior” of the cardiovascular system is explained simply:
- the fetus is actively growing;
- the woman’s body adapts to new operating conditions;
- blood flow speed increases;
- The kidneys are forced to work hard.
But too high values are dangerous, because it can cause miscarriage or premature birth.
For the first trimester, the maximum heart rate is 100 beats per minute, for the second - 120 beats.
How to measure your heartbeat correctly if you feel a rapid pulse
A rapid pulse is easily determined by a woman without a doctor, because it is characterized by:
- dyspnea;
- flushed face;
- mild tremor of the upper extremities;
- headache;
- feeling of heart fluttering.
To understand how dangerous this condition is, a pregnant woman should measure her pulse and do it easily as follows:
- place the fingers of one hand on the inside of the wrist of the other;
- lightly press them and feel for the place where the most clearly audible strokes of blood movement through the vein can be heard;
- Press your fingers harder and count the number of beats for 60 seconds.
You need to measure your pulse at rest, for which the woman should sit on a chair or armchair, relax, and try to restore her breathing. The manipulation cannot be carried out after minor or excessive physical exertion, eating, walking, or doing household chores, as the results will be uninformative and false.
What medications can the doctor prescribe?
Depending on the cause of tachycardia, your doctor may prescribe you various medications to normalize your heart rate.
If the heart rate is not very high, you will be prescribed general measures: rest, proper nutrition, etc. If there are any problems, the patient may be prescribed medication. Most often these are folk recipes or preparations based on natural ingredients. The issue of selecting medications should be approached very carefully so that they do not harm the fetus.
Patient Ilona, 25 years old. A pregnant woman came to the doctor complaining of a rapid heartbeat even when at rest. The gestation period was 12.5 weeks. After conducting a survey, she was referred to a cardiologist, who diagnosed sinus tachycardia. The patient was sent home and was prescribed motherwort and valerian tablets to calm the nerves.
Author of the article:
Elena Demidova
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How to lower your heart rate during pregnancy at home
If a rapid pulse after examination by doctors is not a consequence of pathological conditions, then during pregnancy it can be reduced at home:
- Do breathing exercises at least 3 times a week. This method has many contraindications, so a preliminary consultation with a gynecologist is necessary.
- Walk in the fresh air every day, you can do yoga. This increases vascular tone and strengthens the heart muscle.
- Normalize the daily routine - periods of rest and wakefulness should clearly alternate. Night sleep is at least 8 hours.
- Avoid drinking coffee and tea. These drinks can be replaced with compotes, jelly, and fruit drinks.
- Take vitamin complexes, especially those containing potassium and magnesium. But such prescriptions must be made by a doctor.
If the pulse increases sharply and reaches critical levels (above 140 beats per minute), then it is better to call an ambulance. Before her arrival, you can use a quick way to stabilize your condition:
- feel the carotid artery in the neck;
- Rub the area lightly with your fingertips for 15 minutes.
As soon as a high pulse is diagnosed, the woman should sit down, close her eyes, and drink a glass of clean water at room temperature in small sips. After this, she needs to lie down and take several deep breaths.
When to call an ambulance
An ambulance must be called if:
- pulse rate exceeds 140 beats per minute;
- the woman is in a semi-fainting state;
- there are complaints of nausea, the pregnant woman begins to vomit;
- bothered by convulsive twitching of the lower extremities;
- a woman complains of dizziness;
- the patient is cold or, conversely, too hot, regardless of the ambient temperature.
The reasons for receiving urgent medical care are pain and a burning sensation in the area of the anatomical location of the heart, acute urinary retention, severe yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, pain in the lumbar region and lower abdomen.
Symptoms
Most often, patients with a high pulse have to feel that an “anvil” is working in the heart area or that the heart itself is simply ready to “jump” out of the chest.
A pregnant woman may experience nausea, and with severe manifestations of tachycardia, a gag reflex. If such symptoms are observed, then you need to notify your obstetrician-gynecologist, who will help determine the source of the pathological condition. One of these reasons may be cardiac pathology, which requires accuracy in diagnosis and drug therapy.
The expectant mother may feel a muffled or, on the contrary, a distinct pulsation in the abdomen, most often in its lower part. The first source of pulsation may be fetal hiccups, and the second may be the movement of plasma along the aorta. Such symptoms can develop at any week of pregnancy. If a high pulse is not accompanied by symptoms of pain or other unsafe symptoms, there is no need to worry.
If a pregnant woman experiences dizziness, accompanied by a decrease in overall body tone, low blood pressure and periodic loss of consciousness, it is necessary to urgently seek medical help to normalize the condition.
Sometimes, against the background of tachycardia, a woman begins to feel a lack of air, which indicates the development of hypoxia. At the same time, the pregnant woman breathes intensively, because protective reactions are activated to provide the child with the necessary amount of oxygen. In this situation, the cause of the increased heart rate must be determined.
A fast heartbeat may be accompanied by a headache. These may be the first symptoms of hypotension.
How to reduce heart rate during pregnancy using drugs
You can reduce your heart rate during pregnancy with “mild” sedatives, but they should be prescribed by a doctor and only in the absence of positive dynamics while following other recommendations:
- Persen - has a positive effect on the cardiovascular and central nervous system;
- Valerian tincture – gives a cumulative effect, it is important to take the medicine regularly and for several weeks;
- motherwort herb is a herbal tea that can be used instead of regular drinks, but in strictly dosed doses.
Any pills with a pronounced sedative effect are strictly contraindicated during pregnancy. They inhibit the functioning of the central nervous system of the expectant mother, penetrate into the fetus’s body and lead to problems in the development of the baby after birth.
When to see a doctor?
If you experience heart palpitations for a long time without any reason, you should consult a doctor.
First, you should visit your local physician, who will check your complaints and after that refer you to a cardiologist to undergo a cardiogram. Only after such a study can we say with certainty what is happening to the pregnant woman and her body.
You should not go to the hospital if your pulse has increased once, but if it happens constantly and measures to calm your heart do not help, a visit to the doctor becomes mandatory.
Do not take medications on your own, because you can only relieve symptoms and not get to the root of the problem. Also, take care not to harm the baby.
Why does high heart rate occur after childbirth?
After childbirth, the pulse may also be high, the reasons for this are:
- another restructuring of the hormonal system;
- active lactation;
- a consequence of complications during childbirth - for example, there was bleeding;
- recovery after incisions/ruptures of the perineum.
But an increase in indicators may also be associated with the development of pathological conditions: an inflammatory process in the uterus, suppuration of external or internal sutures, the development of acute mastitis due to improper breastfeeding, chronic constipation, intestinal dysbiosis while taking antibacterial drugs, increased blood pressure. These conditions must be diagnosed by doctors, and the woman is monitored until full recovery.
At home, a postpartum increase in heart rate is associated with disruption of the daily routine, sleepless nights, and emotional distress.
A high pulse during pregnancy can be a physiological phenomenon, but it is often a symptom of complex pathologies that occur secretly. A woman should be able to independently take readings, know the symptoms of deterioration of the condition and follow the recommendations and prescriptions of specialists.
