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High blood pressure during pregnancy
High blood pressure during pregnancy.The causes of high blood pressure during pregnancy
What is hypertension and preeclampsia
Blood pressure shows how hard the blood pushes on the walls of blood vessels. If this pressure is too high, talk about high blood pressure or hypertension. If hypertension is marked by the 20th week of pregnancy, it may be a sign of preeclampsia.
Hypertension may be a woman before pregnancy and during it. In this case, if high blood pressure you have appeared during pregnancy, in which case you need more control over it than those women who have blood pressure was elevated before pregnancy. The reason for this is that hypertension during pregnancy - is a sign of preeclampsia, a fairly serious condition that may progress to eclampsia.
It should be noted that hypertension and preeclampsia are interrelated states, but it is somewhat different situation.
Arterial hypertension
Women tend to have reduced blood pressure in the second trimester of pregnancy. By the end of pregnancy, it returns to previous levels. But some women have a pronounced increase in blood pressure in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. Usually, this requires treating hypertension, but after the birth of a child, it usually goes away by itself.
Pregnant women should be monitored regularly by a doctor and be sure to measure your blood pressure to determine the time characteristics of pre-eclampsia.
When high blood pressure observed violation of placental blood flow, causing the fetus receives less blood and therefore oxygen and nutrients. This can lead to underdevelopment of the fetus. In addition, hypertension increases the risk of premature births and stillbirths.
Pre-eclampsia - a condition associated with pregnancy. Among the signs of preeclampsia noted the appearance of high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy, in combination with other signs, such as the presence of protein in the urine. Typically, preeclampsia goes away after birth. In rare cases, hypertension can still stay within 6 weeks after birth.
Pre-eclampsia - a serious condition for both mother and fetus. It restricts the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. In addition, it affects the state of the liver, kidney and brain of the mother. The final phase of pre-eclampsia is eclampsia, which is characterized by convulsions.
The causes of high blood pressure during pregnancy
Scientists still have not found the exact causes of preeclampsia and hypertension during pregnancy. However, there are some facts about this disease:
Preeclampsia may start sweating because the placenta does not germinate as usual its vascular network in the uterine wall. This leads to a deterioration of blood flow to the placenta.
Pre-eclampsia can occur in families. If, for example, your mother during pregnancy was observed pre-eclampsia, the risk of this disease, you also increased. In addition, the high risk of preeclampsia in the event that the child's father if the mother is also suffering from this disease.
The immune system of the mother's body may react with the sperm of the father of the child, placental tissue or fetus itself.
The presence of hypertension before pregnancy also increases the risk of preeclampsia during pregnancy.
Diseases in which marked hypertension may also increase the risk of preeclampsia, such as obesity, polycystic ovary syndrome or diabetes.
What are the signs of preeclampsia and hypertension during pregnancy
High blood pressure usually causes no symptoms. However, a pronounced high blood pressure may experience headache, and shortness of breath, or blurred vision.
Mild form of preeclampsia is also not shown. But preeclampsia can cause rapid weight gain and sudden swelling of the hands and face. In severe pre-eclampsia may experience symptoms of internal organs, such as severe headache and blurred vision and breathing. Additionally, there may be abdominal pain and reduced urination.
Diagnosis of hypertension and preeclampsia
Usually these two conditions are detected in the prenatal period. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor during pregnancy. Regularly need to control blood pressure. The sudden increase in blood pressure is a sign of serious.
In addition, it is important to have regular urine tests for the presence of the protein, which may also be a sign of preeclampsia. If, during pregnancy you have abdominal pain or headache, you should see a doctor because these symptoms may indicate preeclampsia, even in the absence of protein in the urine.
Treatment of pre-eclampsia and hypertension
In some cases, adequate treatment of these conditions are sufficient diet and little exercise. In other cases you may need medication. Usually it is held in case the lower the pressure you have more than 105 mm Hg
However, the unique and effective treatment for preeclampsia is having a baby. In addition, to reduce blood pressure and reduce the risk of seizures doctor may prescribe medication. Also appointed agents to help light the fetus to birth. However, in some cases, when the situation threatens the life of the mother, it is necessary to cause premature labor. In this case, the newborn is placed in a special box where they take care of specialists and neonatologists.
