The characteristics of high blood pressure in pregnant women are often overlooked, especially if the mother-to-be has never experienced it before becoming pregnant.
While high blood pressure in pregnancy is a common medical problem that usually goes away once the baby is born, in some cases it can indicate something more serious called preeclampsia .
Therefore, mothers need to know the characteristics of high blood pressure in pregnant women as a preventive measure.
What is High Blood Pressure in Pregnant Women?
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is when the force against your artery walls is too high.
It is usually recorded in 2 numbers, namely the top number (systolic) is the pressure when the heart pumps, and the bottom number (diastolic) is the pressure between each beat.
During pregnancy, you are considered to have high blood pressure if the top number is 140 or higher, and the bottom number is 90 or higher (described as “140 over 90”). This high blood pressure is called hypertension .
What are the Signs of High Blood Pressure in Pregnant Women?
The following are the characteristics of high blood pressure in pregnant women that you need to be aware of.
1. Headache
A constant headache that doesn’t go away can be a sign of high blood pressure. This is caused by blood flow that is too strong.
2. Vision Problems
If you are experiencing vision problems, including blurred vision or seeing spots, this is a sign of high blood pressure.
3. Stomach ache
High blood pressure can also cause problems in the upper right abdomen.
4. Nausea and Vomiting
Blood pressure also causes nausea and vomiting that begins or worsens after the 20th week of pregnancy.
5. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Blood flow that is too strong also causes mothers to feel short of breath or have difficulty breathing. These symptoms may worsen as the pregnancy progresses.
6. Swelling of Hands and Face
Swollen hands and face can be a sign of high blood pressure.
The feet may also swell, but many mothers experience swollen feet during pregnancy.
So swollen feet by themselves may not be a sign of a problem. Therefore, you need to confirm it with your obstetrician.
7. Little or no urine
High blood pressure conditions can also affect urine production.
8. Too Much Protein in the Urine (Proteinuria)
This can be confirmed by a urine test. If there is protein in the urine, it is certain that you have high blood pressure.
What Are The Types Of High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy?
Sometimes high blood pressure begins before pregnancy. In other cases, it develops during pregnancy. Here are the types of high blood pressure during pregnancy.
1. Chronic Hypertension
In chronic hypertension, high blood pressure develops either before pregnancy or during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms, it can be difficult to know exactly when it started.
2. Chronic Hypertension with Superimposed Preeclampsia
This condition occurs when chronic hypertension causes high blood pressure that worsens during pregnancy.
People with this condition may develop protein in the urine or other complications.
3. Gestational Hypertension
People with gestational hypertension have high blood pressure that develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
There is no excess protein in the urine and no signs of other organ damage.
However, in some cases, gestational hypertension can eventually lead to preeclampsia.
4. Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia occurs when hypertension develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
This condition is associated with signs of damage to other organ systems, including the kidneys, liver, blood or brain.
Untreated preeclampsia can lead to serious, even fatal, complications for both mother and baby.
Complications may include eclampsia, in which seizures develop.
Previously, preeclampsia was diagnosed only if there was high blood pressure and protein in the urine.
Experts now know that it is possible to have preeclampsia without protein in the urine .
What Are the Causes of High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy-induced hypertension is usually more common in women’s first pregnancies.
Pregnant women who have family, siblings or parents with the same condition can also experience it.
Although the exact cause of high blood pressure in pregnancy is unknown, there are several possible factors that cause high blood pressure during pregnancy, namely:
- Inactive lifestyle
- Obesity or overweight
- Smoke
- First time pregnancy
- Drink alcohol
- Conception at age over 35
- Family history of pregnancy-related hypertension
- Pregnant with twins or more
- Assisted pregnancy such as IVF
- Having diabetes or certain autoimmune diseases.
How is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed During Pregnancy?
Your doctor will routinely measure your blood pressure at every pregnancy check-up.
As explained above, blood pressure levels are determined by two values, namely systolic and diastolic.
The systolic value is the top number that determines the pressure when the heart is actively pumping blood through the arteries.
The diastolic value is the bottom number that indicates the pressure in the arteries when the heart is resting between beats.
In accordanceAmerican Heart Association(AHA), 120/80 mmHg indicates a normal blood pressure reading. A reading above 140/90 mmHg is considered high blood pressure or hypertension.
Your blood pressure should be monitored at every appointment during pregnancy.
If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, your doctor may recommend that you do several tests at different times of the day to monitor your blood pressure levels rising or falling.
In addition, the doctor will also use urine and blood tests to see if there are any problems.
High Blood Pressure Risk
High blood pressure during pregnancy poses the following risks:
1. Reduced blood flow to the placenta
If the placenta does not get enough blood, the fetus may receive less oxygen and fewer nutrients.
This can lead to slow growth (intrauterine growth restriction), low birth weight or premature birth .
Babies born early can experience breathing problems, increased risk of infection, and other complications.
2. Placental Solution
In this condition, the placenta separates from the inner wall of the uterus before delivery.
Preeclampsia and high blood pressure increase the risk of placental abruption .
Severe abruption can cause severe bleeding, which can be life-threatening for you and your baby.
3. Intrauterine Growth Restriction
High blood pressure can cause fetal growth to slow down or decrease.
4. Injury to Other Organs
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause injury to the brain, eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and other major organs. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening.
5. Premature labor
Sometimes early delivery is necessary to prevent life-threatening complications from high blood pressure during pregnancy.
6. Cardiovascular Disease in the Future
Having preeclampsia can increase your risk of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease in the future.
The risk of cardiovascular disease in the future is higher if you have had preeclampsia more than once.
It’s also higher if you’ve had a premature birth due to having high blood pressure during pregnancy.
7. HELLP Syndrome
HELLP stands for hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets. This condition is severe and life-threatening, and can be a complication of preeclampsia.
Symptoms associated with HELLP include:
- Nauseous
- Vomit
- Headache
- Upper abdominal pain.
Because HELLP syndrome can severely damage vital organ systems for life, emergency medical care is aimed at reducing blood pressure for the health of the mother and baby.
In some cases, premature birth is necessary.
How to Treat High Blood Pressure?
Your doctor or midwife will check your blood pressure regularly. If you have high blood pressure, it’s important to:
- Quit smoking
- Eat healthy food
- Exercise regularly
- Make sure to control a healthy weight
If high blood pressure is caused by a medical condition such as kidney disease, it’s important to talk to your doctor about what medications are safe to take during pregnancy.
Preeclampsia can be managed with medication and close monitoring of mother and baby.
However, it can get worse very quickly. If this happens, you may need to go to the hospital or have your baby delivered early.
Premature labor can be considered by looking at several factors, including how severe it is, how many weeks pregnant you are, and what the potential risks are to you and your baby.
Here are some things to consider:
- If you are more than 37 weeks pregnant, your doctor may recommend delivering the baby.
- If you are less than 37 weeks pregnant, your doctor will monitor you and your baby closely. This includes blood and urine tests.
Baby monitoring often involves ultrasound, heart rate monitoring, and baby growth checks.
You may need to take medication, to control your blood pressure and to prevent seizures.
Some pregnant women also get steroid injections, to help the baby’s lungs mature more quickly.
If preeclampsia is severe, your doctor may recommend delivering your baby early.
Symptoms usually disappear within 6 weeks after delivery.
In rare cases, symptoms may not go away, or may not start until after delivery (postpartum preeclampsia). This can be very serious, and must be treated promptly.
How to Prevent High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy?
Common risk factors for high blood pressure, such as obesity, can be minimized through diet and exercise.
During pregnancy, it is very normal to gain weight.
If you’re concerned, talk to your doctor about your weight gain goals and ways to stay at a healthy weight.
Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Both are known to increase blood pressure and cause other complications during pregnancy.
Salt is important during pregnancy and it is usually not necessary to limit salt intake, even for women with high blood pressure.
Restricting salt too much is harmful for pregnant women and can affect the growth and development of the fetus.
Pregnancy causes hormonal changes as well as psychological and physical changes.
This can lead to stress, which can make high blood pressure harder to manage. Try reducing stress with yoga and meditation.
When to Call a Doctor?
You should monitor your blood pressure at home, and if you notice a repeated increase in blood pressure, you should contact your doctor.
If you experience any of the following symptoms of preeclampsia, you should seek medical care immediately:
- Pain or tenderness in the abdomen, especially in the upper right side .
- Weight gain of 2 pounds (0.9 kg) or more in a day.
- Blurred vision or other problems with vision such as light sensitivity, double vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, or temporary loss of vision.
- Frequent, worsening headaches or persistent headaches that do not improve over time.
- Neck, shoulder or other upper body pain (this usually starts in the heart.)
- Swelling is accompanied by one of the assumptions mentioned above.
- Sudden acute pain in the abdomen with or without vaginal bleeding.
***
That is an explanation of the characteristics of high blood pressure in pregnant women.
Hopefully this information is useful for you, Mom!
Republished with permission from theAsianParent Indonesia
