High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy - Know The Facts

High blood pressure during pregnancy can be a sign of pre eclampsia, a very dangerous and potentially life threatening illness.

One thing to understand though, is that not all women with high blood pressure during pregnancy go on to develop pre eclampsia. The high blood pressure will be accompanied by a high level of protein in the urine. Only around one in five pregnant women with high blood pressure will progress to pre eclampsia.

Signs of Pre eclampsia

So what are the signs and symptoms of pre eclampsia?Early on there may be no real signs, but as the illness progresses you may notice:

Blurred vision.
Pains in your abdomen, the upper part of the tummy normally under the ribs.
Headaches.
Being sick.
Feeling unwell and not quite yourself.
Increased swelling around your face, hands and feet. Although swelling can be a normal symptom in pregnancy anyway, but watch out for it getting worse than normal.

Regular check ups with your doctor or midwife will keep an eye on the problem, but if they feel it's starting to get worse, they may send you to hospital.

So who is at risk from pre eclampsia?

Any pregnant woman can develop this problem, normally after the 20th week of pregnancy.

You are more at risk:

You have had pre eclampsia before.
If you have a history within your family of pre eclampsia.
If you have diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
If you fall into the age range of under 20, or over 35.
If your having a multiple birth (twins or more).
If this is your first pregnancy, or your first pregnancy with a new partner.
If you had high blood pressure before you got pregnant.
If you are highly overweight.

Are there any treatments for pre eclampsia?

If high blood pressure during pregnancy leads to pre eclampsia, as long as it's not too severe, then it can be treated.

If the pre eclampsia does get severe, then the only cure is to deliver your baby. This may be done by inducing your labour, or a caesarean section. If you are very early on in your pregnancy, your doctor will have to weigh up several facts. Whether there is any risk of further complications occurring for you or your baby. How badly the pre eclampsia is affecting your baby. How premature your baby will be (and in relation to how severe the pre eclampsia is) would your baby be better off in the uterus or not?

Complications of pre eclampsia

There can be very serious complications with pre eclampsia if the condition gets too severe. Please be aware that very few mothers will suffer with severe pre eclampsia, and these serious complications are rare.

Blood clotting disorders.
Stroke.
Lung problems.
Kidney and liver problems.
Bleeding from the placenta.
Eclampsia, only around 1% of women with pre eclampsia will go on to develop eclampsia. Eclampsia is a type of convulsion during pregnancy.
HELLP syndrome. Hemolytic anaemia, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelet count.
Stillbirth of your baby.

There are no real conclusive prevention treatments for pre eclampsia. The main thing to remember is that high blood pressure during pregnancy does not always progress to pre eclampsia. Your midwife or doctor will gather information from you very early in your pregnancy, and this information will allow them to keep a watch for this if they think there may be a risk.

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