Want to clear out the argument between Morning Sickness vs HG (Hyperemesis Gravidarum)? We compiled 5 ways that help pregnant mums tell them apart.
Some people, especially pregnant women, often make mistakes in identifying the difference between morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum. Fortunately, there are five ways to tell how they differentiate from each other.
In this article, you’ll read:
- Morning Sickness vs HG: 5 Ways to Tell Them Apart
- Few More Things You Should Know About Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting in pregnant women; it is very common in early pregnancy. Additionally, it could happen and may affect pregnant women at any time of the day or night, feeling sick all day long.
Meanwhile, a rare condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) causes severe and ongoing nausea and vomiting. It happens throughout a woman’s pregnancy and could eventually lead to hospitalisation.
Morning Sickness vs HG: 5 Ways to Tell Them Apart
It is challenging for some people to differentiate between morning sickness vs HG (Hyperemesis Gravidarum). Pregnant women with morning sickness vs HG both experiences nausea and vomiting, making it hard to differentiate the two.
However, you do not need to worry anymore! There are five easy on how to know the difference between morning sickness vs HG. Here are the following:
Eating and Drinking
People with morning sickness may experience the symptoms. However, it rarely impacts their usual ability to eat and drink.
Meanwhile, in women with HG, symptoms become severe, and they cannot eat or drink like usual. Some mums brush them off at first and blame the food they eat. However, we urge pregnant mums to seek medical help if they believe their vomiting is worse than normal.
Image Source: iStock
Ability to Work
You may be able to work most days and still care for your family if you are experiencing morning sickness. Your ability to do such things may be lessened, but you can still make it.
On the other hand, if you have HG, you will become unable to work for weeks or even months. Additionally, you may also need extra help just caring for yourself.
Losing Weight
It is not very much common for pregnant women experiencing morning sickness to lose weight because of it. However, it is not impossible as they may lose little if any, weight.
Unlike morning sickness, pregnant women with HG may lose about two to ten kilos or more.
Nausea and Vomiting
In morning sickness, women may infrequently vomit, while nausea can be episodic but not severe or constant.
Meanwhile, those with HG vomit and may often feel the need to vomit bile or blood. Nausea, on the other hand, is usually moderate to severe and constant.
Possible Mental Health Issues
A pregnant woman experiencing morning sickness may feel a bit depressed at times, especially when experiencing severe nausea. However, they are capable of being their usual self most of the time. Additionally, they will likely forget most of the unpleasantness after delivery.
On the other hand, women with HG may feel more anxious about what lies ahead, especially when they have experienced it.
They are also likely to experience depression because of isolation and physical discomfort. Additionally, severe HG could often be traumatic and may impact their lives for years to come.
Image Source: iStock
Other Things You Should Know About HG
About 70% of pregnant women get morning sickness, which is very common during pregnancy. It is a normal and harmless condition for pregnant women.
It is not impossible for women to feel fatigued and lose appetite when experiencing it. However, nausea and vomiting should never be severe enough to cause problems like dehydration.
Additionally, it typically goes away by weeks 12 through 14 of the pregnancy. It would be expected for women to feel a sense of relief by the time they are in their second semester.
Meanwhile, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a serious condition compared to morning sickness. Because of this, the main thing to consider between morning sickness vs HG centres on its severity.
Women suffering from HG commonly lose weight and may experience dehydration, which could be dangerous in pregnancy. It could also impact a pregnant woman’s daily life.
Causes of Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Here are the common causes of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG):
- Pregnancy hormones
- Being pregnant with multiple
- First-time pregnancy
- Overweight
- Having a history of HG in the family (could increase the risk)
- Abnormal cell growths inside the uterus
Treatment for Hyperemesis Gravidarum
If you are one of the pregnant women experiencing HG, here are a few treatments that could help improve your condition:
- Go for natural methods like taking ginger or vitamin B6.
- Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.
- Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
In severe cases, a doctor’s medication prescription may be prescribed to control nausea and vomiting. There are also instances where pregnant women need hospitalisation to ensure the mother’s and child’s safety.
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
