"Hot Summer Diseases" that pregnant women must be careful.

"Hot Summer Diseases" that pregnant women must be careful.

During pregnancy, the mother's body metabolizes food 20% better than normal people, causing the body to heat up and sweat easily. In the summer, there are more diseases that are likely to occur. Here are some recommendations for mothers to be concerned of in the summer.

Heat Stroke is caused by the body getting too much heat.

Symptoms: Fatigue, exhaustion, loss of appetite, headache, low blood pressure, etc. If not treated promptly, symptoms will get worse until convulsions, kidney failure, arrhythmia, shock, and thromboembolism, which can be life-threatening.

How to prevent + treat?

Avoid being in the sun on an extremely hot day.
Drink 1-2 glasses of water before leaving the house. Sip water often even though not feeling thirsty
Choose to wear clothes that are well ventilated, not tight-fitting
If there are abnormal symptoms that are signs of heat stroke, please find the cover or be in the shade, lie down, raise your feet high, and loosen your clothes immediately. Then, use cold water or ice to compress the head, neck, and armpits. If the symptoms are severe, please come to the hospital immediately.

Dehydration

Dehydration occurs with heatstroke because when the body temperature rises, the body will sweat more than usual. It makes the blood more concentrated. This condition can stimulate the body to release the hormone oxytocin, which can result in premature labor.

Symptoms Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fainting, hyperventilation or shortness of breath, muscle contractions or cramps, abnormal amount of fluid in the body such as sweat, low urine output, and elevated body temperature without other signs of illness.

How to prevent + treat?

Avoid being in the sun or being in a hot place.
Get enough exercise and rest.
Reduce caffeine intake by avoiding tea, coffee, or soft drinks.
If there are abnormal symptoms, drink water to increase body fluids.
If symptoms persist such as abdominal muscle contractions or cramps more than 5-6 times in 1-hour, vaginal bleeding, swelling of the face and hands or other symptoms, please come to the hospital.

Flu

If you have a cold during pregnancy, symptoms will get better a little later than normal people, because the immune system in the body is reduced. Most of the time, colds are not able to infect babies, but mothers should be careful. If mothers are infected with a severe cold, they may induce abortion in the first 3 months or preterm labor in the last trimester.

Symptoms: Coughing, sneezing, runny nose, not dangerous to baby. But when mother coughs hard, it may result in increased abdominal pressure, which may press on the uterus and cause the uterus to contract. If mothers have a fever higher than 38 degrees, they should see a doctor immediately. (Fever above 40 degrees can cause disabilities in babies.)

How to prevent + treat?

Avoid areas with a lot of people or crowded places with poor ventilation. The infection will spread in the air. Wear a mask to cover the mouth and nose.
Get enough rest. Maintain a constant body temperature. Turn on the air conditioner moderately.
Eat citrus fruits and vegetables to increase vitamin C.
If you have a cough, you can take cough medicine that can help to expel phlegm. Be careful with cough medicine that acts as a cough suppressant.
If you have a fever, you should wipe yourself and drink plenty of clean water. Paracetamol can be taken for fever. You should not take drugs in the group of antihistamines and aspirin type anti-inflammatory drugs. You should not buy medicine by yourself, and you should consult your doctor first.

Cholera

It is caused by a bacterial infection in the intestines that may be contaminated with food and water.

Symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, irritability, lethargy, sunken eyes, dry lips, extreme thirst, withered and dry skin, low urine output, and shock.

How to prevent + treat?

Drink water when having diarrhea to replace the water lost from the body.
Wash your hands before and after eating.
Eat clean, cooked food. Avoid raw food and food that has been stored for a long time.
Eat fruits and vegetables that can be peeled. Avoid eating whole fruits.
Be careful in consuming dairy products.

All the above symptoms are symptoms that expectant mothers may encounter. Therefore, keeping yourself healthy is essential to keep both mother and baby safe and healthy. If in case of abnormal symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately.

Source: Real Parenting magazine and website pobpad.com

Compiled by Dr. Suwannee Bamrerat