Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys. Preeclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had been normal.
Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious â even fatal â complications for both you and your baby. If you have preeclampsia, the only cure is delivery of your baby.
If you're diagnosed with preeclampsia too early in your pregnancy to deliver your baby, you and your doctor face a challenging task. Your baby needs more time to mature, but you need to avoid putting yourself or your baby at risk of serious complications.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Preeclampsia sometimes develops without any symptoms. High blood pressure may develop slowly, or it may have a sudden onset. Monitoring your blood pressure is an important part of prenatal care because the first sign of preeclampsia is commonly a rise in blood pressure. Blood pressure that exceeds 140/90 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or greater â documented on two occasions, at least four hours apart â is abnormal.
Other signs and symptoms of preeclampsia may include:
Sudden weight gain and swelling (edema) â particularly in your face and hands â may occur with preeclampsia. But these also occur in many normal pregnancies, so they're not considered reliable signs of preeclampsia.
Make sure you attend your prenatal visits so that your care provider can monitor your blood pressure. Contact your doctor immediately or go to an emergency room if you have severe headaches, blurred vision or other visual disturbance, severe pain in your abdomen, or severe shortness of breath.
Because headaches, nausea, and aches and pains are common pregnancy complaints, it's difficult to know when new symptoms are simply part of being pregnant and when they may indicate a serious problem â especially if it's your first pregnancy. If you're concerned about your symptoms, contact your doctor.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
The exact cause of preeclampsia involves several factors. Experts believe it begins in the placenta â the organ that nourishes the fetus throughout pregnancy. Early in pregnancy, new blood vessels develop and evolve to efficiently send blood to the placenta.
In women with preeclampsia, these blood vessels don't seem to develop or function properly. They're narrower than normal blood vessels and react differently to hormonal signaling, which limits the amount of blood that can flow through them.
Causes of this abnormal development may include:
Preeclampsia is classified as one of four high blood pressure disorders that can occur during pregnancy. The other three are:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
To diagnose preeclampsia, you have to have high blood pressure and one or more of the following complications after the 20th week of pregnancy:
Previously, preeclampsia was only diagnosed if high blood pressure and protein in the urine were present. However, experts now know that it's possible to have preeclampsia, yet never have protein in the urine.
A blood pressure reading in excess of 140/90 mm Hg is abnormal in pregnancy. However, a single high blood pressure reading doesn't mean you have preeclampsia. If you have one reading in the abnormal range â or a reading that's substantially higher than your usual blood pressure â your doctor will closely observe your numbers.
Having a second abnormal blood pressure reading four hours after the first may confirm your doctor's suspicion of preeclampsia. Your doctor may have you come in for additional blood pressure readings and blood and urine tests.
If your doctor suspects preeclampsia, you may need certain tests, including:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
The more severe your preeclampsia and the earlier it occurs in your pregnancy, the greater the risks for you and your baby. Preeclampsia may require induced labor and delivery.
Delivery by cesarean delivery (C-section) may be necessary if there are clinical or obstetric conditions that require a speedy delivery. Otherwise, your doctor may recommend a scheduled vaginal delivery. Your obstetric provider will talk with you about what type of delivery is right for your condition.
Complications of preeclampsia may include:
HELLP syndrome. HELLP â which stands for hemolysis (the destruction of red blood cells), elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count â syndrome is a more severe form of preeclampsia, and can rapidly become life-threatening for both you and your baby.
Symptoms of HELLP syndrome include nausea and vomiting, headache, and upper right abdominal pain. HELLP syndrome is particularly dangerous because it represents damage to several organ systems. On occasion, it may develop suddenly, even before high blood pressure is detected or it may develop without any symptoms at all.
Eclampsia. When preeclampsia isn't controlled, eclampsia â which is essentially preeclampsia plus seizures â can develop. It is very difficult to predict which patients will have preeclampsia that is severe enough to result in eclampsia.
Often, there are no symptoms or warning signs to predict eclampsia. Because eclampsia can have serious consequences for both mom and baby, delivery becomes necessary, regardless of how far along the pregnancy is.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Researchers continue to study ways to prevent preeclampsia, but so far, no clear strategies have emerged. Eating less salt, changing your activities, restricting calories, or consuming garlic or fish oil doesn't reduce your risk. Increasing your intake of vitamins C and E hasn't been shown to have a benefit.
Some studies have reported an association between vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of preeclampsia. But while some studies have shown an association between taking vitamin D supplements and a lower risk of preeclampsia, others have failed to make the connection.
In certain cases, however, you may be able to reduce your risk of preeclampsia with:
It's important that you don't take any medications, vitamins or supplements without first talking to your doctor.
Before you become pregnant, especially if you've had preeclampsia before, it's a good idea to be as healthy as you can be. Lose weight if you need to, and make sure other conditions, such as diabetes, are well-managed.
Once you're pregnant, take care of yourself â and your baby â through early and regular prenatal care. If preeclampsia is detected early, you and your doctor can work together to prevent complications and make the best choices for you and your baby.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Discovering that you have a potentially serious pregnancy complication can be frightening. If you're diagnosed with preeclampsia late in your pregnancy, you may be surprised and scared to know that you'll be induced right away. If you're diagnosed earlier in your pregnancy, you may have many weeks to worry about your baby's health.
It may help to learn about your condition. In addition to talking to your doctor, do some research. Make sure you understand when to call your doctor, how you should monitor your baby and your condition, and then find something else to occupy your time so that you don't spend too much time worrying.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Preeclampsia develops only as a complication of pregnancy. Risk factors include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
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