What
causes shortness of breath in pregnancy?
Your uterus
expands during pregnancy putting pressure on your diaphragm.
This pressure keeps your lungs from expanding fully causing
shortness of breath.
Another
contributor to shortness of breath in pregnancy is progesterone.
Progesterone is a hormone found during pregnancy. Progesterone
has many effects on your body and helps to maintain pregnancy.
It has a relaxing effect on muscles which helps to keep the
uterus from contracting. This relaxing effect actually relaxes
the muscles supporting the lungs. Progesterone also changes
the body's sensitivity to carbon dioxide. Normally when you
breath, as the carbon dioxide increases, you need to get rid
of it. So as your body becomes more sensitive to it, you will
feel the need to breath off carbon dioxide. Moreover, this
can leave the pregnant mother feeling winded and short of
breath.
Other
causes of shortness of breath
Shortness
of breath can have other causes such as anemia and more seriously
heart disease or pulmonary disease. If the shortness of breath
you are experiencing is severe or you are experiencing accompanied
chest pain, coughing up blood, dizziness, or you do not feel
relief from symptoms upon resting, contact your doctor as this
could be something more serious.
What
can I do to relieve shortness of breath in pregnancy?
Shortness
of breath in pregnancy should resolve with rest. Avoid overexertion.
Schedule breaks and rest periods when taking on physical activities.
Avoid prolonged standing. Prolonged standing can leave you
feeling short of breath and dizzy. Use good posture. Sitting
up straight can help your lungs to fully expand when breathing.
Using
pillows to elevate yourself when resting or sleeping may also
help.
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