Vomiting Blood During Pregnancy

While experiencing nausea and vomiting is all part of the pregnancy parcel, vomiting blood during pregnancy plays in a different league of uncommon symptoms. Let’s journey into unraveling the causes of this particular sign and arm ourselves with knowledge about what can be done in response.

Although many expectant mothers won’t have any symptoms until much later in the pregnancy, you can never be sure. According to the March of Dimes, up to 70% of pregnant women have morning sickness during their first trimester. The symptoms start around week 6 and are at their worst around week 9. Fortunately, morning sickness typically fades by week 14.

It’s good news for mom and baby that vomiting during pregnancy is rarely harmful. While morning sickness is normal during pregnancy, vomiting blood, or hematemesis, is not and may be a sign of a more serious problem.

Read on to learn about bloody vomiting during pregnancy causes, treatments, and when to consult a doctor.

Why Do Pregnant Women Throw Up Blood?

Please seek medical attention immediately if you notice blood in your vomit. For a more thorough diagnosis and to establish if more testing is necessary, your doctor will ask you additional in-depth questions. A blood count, oxygen saturation reading, or ultrasound could all fall within this category.

Some possible causes of blood in your vomit are listed below.

Morning sickness

Because nausea and vomiting can happen at any time of day or night, the term “morning sickness” is misleading. These factors may contribute to morning sickness, but scientists still don’t know the exact explanation.

  • Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and estrogen levels tend to rise throughout pregnancy.
  • Low glucose levels
  • Exhaustion and mental stress
  • Problems with food tolerance and intolerance
  • Motion sickness, the intensity increased
  • According to one study, a protein discovered in the blood may be to blame in severe cases of morning sickness and vomiting, such as hyperemesis gravidarum.

Morning sickness is characterized by a general feeling of nausea and vomiting once or twice daily; however, blood in the vomit is not typical. However, hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness, can cause blood to be vomited.

Hyperemesis During Pregnancy

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a condition that happens when morning sickness becomes extreme and causes vomiting four or more times daily. Constant dizziness or lightheadedness, loss of appetite, constipation, dehydration, and an inability to intake and hold down enough amounts of food or drink are all possible side effects of persistent vomiting.

Over time, persistent vomiting can cause damage to the esophagus, the digestive tract’s entry point. The lining is prone to bleeding when it is inflamed. Mallory-Weiss tears, which occur when the esophagus is punctured by a foreign object, require emergency medical care. Anemia and other problems might arise from excessive tear bleeding.

Indicators of an esophageal tear are:

  • Nausea
  • Exposing massive amounts of bloody vomit.
  • Fever
  • Vigorous respiration

Hyperemesis gravidarum treatment options may include:

  • Drinking enough water.
  • Nausea and vomiting can be managed with the help of an antiemetic or steroid medication.
  • Hypnosis or acupuncture.
  • Modifying one’s diet and way of life.
  • Intravenous fluids.
  • gestational periotitis.

Pregnancy hormones like estrogen and progesterone can cause uncomfortable side effects, including puffy, bleeding gums. This form of gum disease is called pregnant gingivitis.

You may have a little buildup of plaque on your teeth from not brushing thoroughly, and the hormonal shifts of pregnancy can make your gums more susceptible to plaque and gingivitis. According to research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, up to 80% of pregnant women may develop moderate to severe gingivitis.

When you have this disease, you may notice blood in your vomit because your gums bleed easily.

Pregnancy-related gingivitis symptoms include:

  • Gum swelling.
  • Gum bleeding, especially during brushing or flossing.
  • Tenderness.

Pregnancy gingivitis treatment options include:

  • Your doctor may recommend a dentist.
  • Consistent brushing and flossing are a necessity.

Nosebleeding

The blood arteries in your nose will expand to assist in supplying more blood to your expanding uterus, placenta, and fetus. However, since the blood veins in your nose have such thin walls, the increased blood volume may sometimes cause them to burst. Another delightful sign of pregnancy. It’s normal for one in five pregnant women to experience a nosebleed at some point during their nine months.

Blood in the vomit is a common symptom of a bleeding nose. When you tilt your head backward while experiencing a nosebleed, the blood from your nose can trickle down into your throat. The blood will eventually be thrown up with the vomit.

Stopping nosebleeds during pregnancy:

  • Hydrate yourself by consuming a lot of liquids.
  • Humidify the air, particularly while you’re trying to sleep.
  • No nose-picking!
  • A saline gel or spray should be used.

Does Bloody Vomit Indicate a Miscarriage?

Women who have morning sickness are not protected from miscarriage, contrary to popular belief. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that women who had morning sickness (nausea and vomiting) during their first trimester of pregnancy had a 75% lower chance of miscarriage than those who did not. However, not experiencing morning sickness is not a cause for alarm.

Miscarriage symptoms include:

  • A rapid increase in bleeding volume.
  • Cramping.
  • Hurting tummy or belly.
  • Backache
  • With a fever
  • Expelling bodily fluids, tissues, and mucous.

Please contact your doctor promptly if you suspect a miscarriage.

When To Call a Doctor

Bloody vomit can be unsettling to discover, even if it’s the result of something as benign as a bloody nose. If you’re pregnant and experiencing any symptoms, contacting your doctor immediately is important.

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