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8 Ways to Avoid Dizziness in Pregnancy
Aug 17, 2020
Feeling dizzy, faint or lightheaded during pregnancy is a common symptom in the first trimester. If dizziness persists, then you need to be careful and make sure you don’t fall down – if you feel a spell of dizziness coming on, find a place to sit or lie down till it passes. The pregnancy hormones floating in your body can cause blood vessels to widen. While this helps in better oxygen supply to the baby, it slows the blood in the veins to you. This can cause the blood pressure to fluctuate, leading to headaches or dizziness.
In the second or third trimester, the weight of the baby can squeeze the blood vessels in your legs and pelvis as you lie straight, again, causing dizziness. If your body temperature increases, that too can make you feel dizzy. So avoid wearing extra layers and showering with extremely hot water. Fainting can also be caused by diabetes which, even if it’s not a pre-existent condition, it can occur as your body adapts to a change in metabolism.
Few tips to avoid dizziness:
1. Keep blood sugar levels stable by eating at regular intervals. It’s best to always carry savory biscuits or a handful of nuts in your bag.
2. Keep yourself well hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
3. Keep your iron stores up by eating iron-rich foods such as lentils, green leafy vegetables, chicken, meat etc. Remember iron is best absorbed when taken along with foods rich in vitamin C such as tomatoes, lemon, gooseberry etc.
4. Make sure your clothing is comfortable and not too tight. Don’t wear too many layers of clothing as that can cause the body to overheat and feel dizzy.
5. Do your small regular walks/ workout during the day to ensure proper blood circulation. Shiatsu is just one of the many alternative therapies that can also help improve the blood circulation in the body.
6. Eat a balanced diet – plenty of whole and unrefined foods, including beans, green leafy vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. Include oily fish such as salmon as that is a good source of iron, vitamin D, and healthy fats.
7. The best way to ensure all nutrients in your meal is to have different colors of fruits and vegetables in your meals.
8. Indian herbs like garlic when used in cooking, can help stimulate blood circulation.
ROSEWALK TEAM
Dr. Jayshree Agarwal
Consultant - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Panchsheel Park
