Why light headed when pregnant

Dizziness can result from an ectopic pregnancy. This occurs when a fertilized egg implants itself in your reproductive system outside of the uterus. Many times, it implants in your fallopian tubes. You may experience dizziness as well as pain in your abdomen and vaginal bleeding. Your doctor will have to perform a procedure or prescribe a medication to remove the fertilized egg. Some of the reasons you experience dizziness in the first trimester may carry over to the second trimester, like low blood pressure or hyperemesis gravidarum.

There are other conditions that may arise as your pregnancy progresses. You may experience dizziness if the pressure from your growing uterus presses on your blood vessels. This can occur in the second or third trimester, and is more common when the baby is large. Lying on your back can also cause dizziness. This can cause dizziness as well as other concerning symptoms. Sleep and rest on your side to prevent this blockage from occurring. You may experience dizziness with gestational diabetes if your blood sugar gets too low.

Gestational diabetes occurs when your hormones affect the way your body produces insulin. Your doctor will likely recommend testing for gestational diabetes between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy.

Dizziness, along with other symptoms like sweating, shakiness, and headaches, may indicate that your blood sugar is low. Many of the causes of dizziness in the first and second trimesters can cause the same symptom later in your pregnancy. Watch for signs of feeling faint to avoid falling, especially during your third trimester. Stand up slowly and reach for support to avoid lightheadedness, and make sure to sit as often as you can to avoid long periods of standing.

There are some causes that may cause dizziness at any time during your pregnancy. You may have a reduced number of healthy red blood cells from pregnancy, causing anemia. In addition to dizziness, anemia may cause you to feel tired, become pale, or feel short of breath. You may develop anemia at any time during pregnancy. If you do, your doctor can take blood tests throughout your pregnancy to measure your iron levels and monitor the condition. They may recommend iron or folic acid supplements.

It is common to faint during pregnancy, so be cautious. This could be a sign of an ectopic pregnancy , a low-lying placenta, or placental abruption. You should also contact your health care provider immediately if you have persistent dizziness or dizziness accompanied by blurred vision, headaches , or palpitations.

This may be a symptom of severe anemia or some other illness that could have a negative effect on your pregnancy. Dizziness During Pregnancy. Dizziness During Pregnancy: Causes and Prevention Dizziness or feeling faint is a normal symptom during pregnancy. What causes dizziness during pregnancy?

How can I prevent dizziness when you are pregnant? Here are some helpful suggestions to reduce dizziness: Avoid standing for long periods. If you must stand, make sure that you keep your feet moving to help increase circulation Get up slowly from either sitting or lying down this is especially important when you are getting out of the bath Eat regularly. Avoid long periods between meals; it is better to snack throughout the day Avoid hot baths or showers Avoid lying on your back once you reach the middle of your second trimester Wear loose, comfortable clothing to avoid restricting circulation What do to do if you feel faint when you are pregnant?

Avoid getting up quickly from sitting or lying down positions. This is a common reason for dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting. Want to Know More? Pregnancy Week 19 What is Implantation Bleeding? Various physiological and lifestyle factors act individually or synergistically to trigger lightheadedness. Certain medical conditions may also make you feel faint.

Hormonal changes, like an increase in progesterone and relaxin, cause your blood vessels to widen during early pregnancy. The good news? More blood containing essential nutrients is delivered to your baby. But, dilated blood vessels can also lead to low blood pressure and dizziness, particularly in the first trimester.

This effect is especially pronounced when you're getting up from a lying or sitting position. Research has also shown that low systolic blood pressure may continue into the second and third trimesters.

Systolic blood pressure refers to the force your blood exerts on arteries when your heart contracts. The bottom line? Be prepared to deal with dizziness during the later stages of your pregnancy too. On the other end of the spectrum, high blood pressure can also bring about dizziness during pregnancy. It's often associated with pregnancy complications like pre-eclampsia — a serious medical condition that usually appears after week 20 the second trimester. Pre-eclampsia is often characterized by lightheadedness, abdominal pain, and organ damage.

Low blood sugar levels, otherwise known as hypoglycemia, can happen in pregnancy too. It's a common symptom in pregnant women with morning sickness. Nausea and vomiting make for a poor appetite, which often results in low blood sugar levels and even dehydration.

This, in turn, makes you feel faint and weak. Hypoglycemia can also appear in pregnant women with diabetes or gestational diabetes mellitus. Unlike normal diabetes, gestational diabetes only shows up during pregnancy due to certain hormonal changes that promote insulin resistance.

As such, previously non-diabetic individuals may develop gestational diabetes when they become pregnant. While diabetes and gestational diabetes are often associated with high blood sugar levels, both conditions can cause low blood sugar levels too. Certain diabetic medications, like insulin shots and glyburide, work to lower blood sugar levels in these individuals.

However, blood sugar levels may drop too low, leading to dizziness. We've mentioned how morning sickness leads to low blood sugar levels and dizziness, but have you heard of a more severe form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum?

Yet, this extreme form of morning sickness is characterized by severe nausea and non-stop vomiting, making it almost impossible to eat or drink.

Often, the affected individuals suffer from serious nutritional deficits and dehydration, resulting in hospitalization. As your pregnancy progresses and the growing baby demands more from your body, it's typical for pregnant women to experience dehydration due to:. When your body lacks enough water to support you and your baby, lightheadedness is often one of the warning signs. Other symptoms include headache, muscle cramps, thirstiness, dark-colored urine, and exhaustion.

Sometimes, dehydration may even cause Braxton Hicks contractions — false labor pains when the womb contracts and relaxes. As you approach the second and third trimesters, the growing baby weight causes your uterus to expand. This exerts pressure on the blood vessels, which restricts blood flow and leaves you feeling faint.

Lying on your back worsens the problem since the supine position makes it easy for your baby to press on the inferior vena cava — a large vein that transports blood from your legs and abdomen back to your heart. When the vena cava can't perform its job properly, it leads to inferior vena cava compression syndrome , a condition that gives rise to dizzy spells, nausea, low blood pressure, and sweating.

Higher-than-usual body temperature is another common cause of dizziness during pregnancy. Here are some reasons why you may be feeling overheated:.

At the same time, red blood cells grow in number to carry sufficient oxygen and nutrients to your growing baby. Yet, the increase in red blood cells often falls behind the significant increase in blood volume, leading to a condition known as anemia. But why is this so? Iron is needed to create hemoglobin, an oxygen-carrying substance present in red blood cells.