What Is Pregnancy Nose, The New TikTok Trend?

Another TikTok trend has been born. This time, it involves expectant moms who are sharing photos of their "pregnancy nose."

Because of this, the platform has been flooded with images of pregnant women's swollen noses. #PregnancyNose has also been widely used on the app, earning more than 16 million views.

Many who claim to have had a pregnancy nose say they "never had a big nose" prior to getting pregnant. There are also those who post before and after photographs of themselves to let people see the difference.

According to one user, it is important to talk about this condition, as they are "morphed into a whole new person" because of it, NBC News reported.

Dr. Shannon M. Clark, an expert in maternal-fetal medicine who teaches at the University of Texas, weighed in on the matter and said that having a swollen nose is not uncommon among pregnant women. She even shared with her nearly half a million followers on the social media platform that she had experienced it, too.

Clark attributed the condition to two major changes: a spike in hormones and an increased blood flow. However, she made it clear that although it is usually harmless, one should notify their health care provider if it lasts more than 20 weeks and begins to affect other body parts like the face and hands.

"Those are all signs of preeclampsia," Clark said, as per the outlet, adding that the condition needs to be "diagnosed and monitored properly."

Preeclampsia is characterized by "high blood pressure and signs of organ failure," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted on its blog.

The condition is estimated to occur in 5% to 7% of all pregnancies and is said to be "one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity." It causes more than 70,000 maternal and 500,000 fetal deaths every year, according to the agency.

So far, the only known cure for the condition is delivering the baby, according to Britain's National Health Service (NHS).

"In most cases of pre-eclampsia, having your baby at about the 37th to 38th week of pregnancy is recommended," the NHS explained.

Other symptoms reportedly include severe headaches, problems with vision, vomiting, pain below the ribs and sudden swelling of feet, ankles, face and hands.