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Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
When hypertension occurs during pregnancy, the condition is called toxemia or preeclampsia. Preeclampsia can happen during the 2nd half of pregnancy. Your doctor will be aware of your condition if you demonstrate either: high blood pressure, swelling that does not go away and large amounts of protein in your urine.
Preeclampsia is most common with women during their first pregnancy and with women who have a close relative (like their mother or sister) who’ve had pregnancy induced hypertension. The risk is also higher with women carrying multiple babies, teenage mothers, women who’ve developed gestational diabetes or women older than 40 years of age. Other women at high risk are those who had high blood pressure or kidney disease before they became pregnant. The cause of this condition is unknown.
If you have high blood pressure, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have preeclampsia. Your doctor will watch you closely for any changes such as excessive swelling or protein in your urine. While swelling is seen as normal during pregnancy, more serious swelling is when it doesn’t go away after resting and it’s obvious in your face and hands. Or if you experience rapid weight gain of more than 5 pounds in one week.
Tests for Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
Currently there are no tests to determine if you have pregnancy induced hypertension. Your blood pressure is checked at each doctor’s visit and he/she should be able to catch early signs of preeclampsia if you have a sudden big rise in blood pressure. A simple urine test will be tell if there is protein in your urine. If you do have signs of Preeclampsia, you may have to make more frequent visits to your doctor each week.
Preeclampsia Risks
Preeclampsia can prevent the placenta from getting enough blood which means the baby will get less and nutrients. This may contribute to low birth weight and other issues for the baby. Most women who have this condition will still go on to deliver healthy babies. There are a few women who may develop the condition eclampsia (with seizures) which is quite serious for both the mom and the baby. Fortunately, pregnancy induced hypertension is detected early in women who get regular prenatal care and most of these issues can be prevented.
Treatment for Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
If you have pregnancy induced hypertension, the best way to protect both you and your baby is to deliver the baby. It may not be always possible, depending on where you are during your pregnancy. If the delivery isn’t possibly because it’s too early in your pregnancy, there are steps to manage pregnancy induced hypertension until the baby can be delivered. The steps will require you to make your blood pressure drop, with bed-rest or medicines, and keeping a close eye on you and your baby. In some cases, hospitalization is necessary.
Cutting back on salt can help reduce high blood pressure when you are NOT pregnant, but when you are pregnant you will need salt to keep up the flow of fluid in your body. Your doctor will tell you how much salt to eat and how much water you should be drinking daily.
Your doctor may tell you to take extra calcium or aspirin to prevent pregnancy induced hypertension. Your doctor may also tell you to lie on your left side when you rest to improve blood flow and take off weight to large blood vessels. There are many doctors that give magnesium sulfate to their patients during labor and for a few days after birth to help prevent eclampsia. You will need to talk to your doctor regarding these things.
Symptoms of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
- Severe headaches
- Excessive swelling of hands and feet
- Vomiting of blood
- Small amounts of urine or no urine at all
- Blood in urine
- Dizziness
- Excessive Nausea or Vomiting
- Rapid Heartbeat
- Ringing or Buzzing sound in ears
- Drowsiness
- Fever
- Double Vision
- Blurred Vision
- Sudden blindness
- Pain the abdomen (tummy)
See more gestational diabetes risks