Morning sickness is a common occurrence during pregnancy. This condition is not dangerous. Morning sickness can be quite uncomfortable, but it usually goes away within a year.

Hyperemesis gravidarum is an extreme form of morning sickness that can cause severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. It often requires hospital treatment.

Morning sickness and HG are very different conditions. They have different complications and side effects. It’s important to distinguish between these two conditions to properly treat symptoms.

Morning sickness

Morning sickness typically includes nausea that’s sometimes accompanied by vomiting. Nausea is common in pregnancy. Up to 90 percent of pregnant women experience it.

With morning sickness, nausea and vomiting usually disappear after 12 weeks of pregnancy but sometimes continue until 20 weeks or longer. The vomiting doesn’t cause severe dehydration.

“The first month of a pregnant woman’s life is when morning sickness begins. It usually goes away by the third or fourth month. People with morning sickness can lose appetite and get fatigued. They may have difficulty with their daily activities.”

Hyperemesis gravidarum

HG is a rarer condition, happening in only about 0.5 to 2 percent of pregnancies. It typically includes nausea that doesn’t go away and severe vomiting that leads to dehydration. This doesn’t allow you to keep any food or fluids down.

The first 6 weeks of pregnancy are when the symptoms of HG begin. fatigue can last for weeks or months due to the effects of HG. People with HG may not be able to work or perform their normal activities.

Poor weight gain can be caused by HG. There are ways to manage the symptoms of morning sickness, but there is no known way to prevent it.

“The first few weeks of the baby’s life are when it starts to get HG. Symptoms can come and go, so you may need hospital treatment to manage your symptoms, and other times when you feel better.”

The most common symptoms of HG are:

  • I feel nausea almost constant.
  • Losing appetite
  • vomiting frequently
  • becoming dehydrated
  • feeling unwell or lightheaded.
  • Losing more than 5 percent of your body weight is caused by nausea or vomiting.

“Most pregnant people experience some degree of morning sickness. Morning sickness is a condition that occurs during a pregnant woman’s uterus. Morning sickness isn’t limited to the morning. It can happen at any time.”

Morning sickness and HG seem to have a connection to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This is a hormone created during pregnancy by the placenta. Your body produces a large amount of this hormone at a rapid rate early in pregnancy. These levels typically peak about 10 to 12 weeks into your pregnancy and then begin to decline.

Some factors could increase your risk of getting HG.

  • There is a history of HG in your family.
  • A multiple pregnancy is when there are twins or triplets.
  • Being pregnant for the first time.

Trophoblastic disease can cause HG. There is an abnormal growth of cells inside the uterus.

Your doctor will ask about your medical history. A standard physical exam is enough to diagnose most cases. A fast pulse and low blood pressure are some of the common signs of HG.

It is necessary to check for signs of dehydration with blood and urine samples. Your doctor might order more tests to make sure that gastrointestinal problems are not the cause of your nausea or vomiting.

An ultrasound might be necessary to find out whether you’re pregnant with twins or whether there’s are any problems. This test uses sound waves to create an image of the inside of your body.

The severity of your symptoms affects treatment.

Sometimes, early treatment of morning sickness may lower your risk of developing HG. Your doctor may recommend natural nausea prevention methods, such as vitamin B6 or ginger.

Eating smaller, more frequent meals and dry foods may help with morning sickness. Drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated.

Unlike typical morning sickness, HG requires medical treatment.

“A person with HG will usually need to be hospitalized. If you can’t keep fluids or food down due to nausea, you’ll need to get them IVs.”

Medication is necessary when vomiting puts your health or the health of the fetus (baby) at risk. Some of the most commonly used anti-nausea drugs are promethazine and meclizine. These medications can be taken in different ways. For example, promethazine can be taken as an injection, suppository, oral medication, or topical treatment.

Some of the medications that can be used to treat severe HG, like methylprednisolone, can cause birth defects. However, severe dehydration and other complications of HG may be of greater concern.

Discuss the risks with your doctor.

The good news is that the symptoms of HG will disappear after birth. It is possible to reduce the risk of birth defects for you and the baby by treating HG during the pregnancy.

Talk to your doctor about how to deal with HG. You should communicate your feelings to your doctor and support system.