Preeclampsia is a pregnancy related condition that occurs due to high blood pressure. This is considered to be very serious health issue, which can lead to complications in pregnancy.
Preeclampsia also increases the risk of damage to major organs as well. Without timely diagnosis and treatment, this condition can be fatal to you and your baby. Regular checkups and monitoring of BP is highly important in every pregnancy.
Preeclampsia is known to occur mostly towards the end of second trimester, but may also develop anytime during pregnancy. Even if your blood pressure has been normal all through these weeks, there is still a chance of developing preeclampsia. In some cases, this condition may occur after delivery.
Symptoms
There may be no symptoms of preeclampsia in some cases. Blood pressure may increase slowly overtime or may develop all of a sudden. If your BP measures more than 140/90 mm Hg, it may be an indication of preeclampsia. Other symptoms to lookout for include-
- Presence of high protein in urine
- Blurry vision or temporary blindness
- Swelling of the face, hands and feet
- Headaches that won’t go away
- Breathlessness
- Sudden increase in weight
- Nausea
- Decreased urine production
Some of these symptoms are common to pregnancy and may not always mean you have preeclampsia. Your doctor will be able to diagnose the condition with additional tests, if necessary. If you notice any unusual changes, it is better to talk to your doctor about it and get a clarity of what is really happening.
If this condition happens to develop early in your pregnancy, then your pregnancy will be classified as high risk case. You will be monitored closely and treated accordingly. Depending on the severity, it can become a huge challenge as your pregnancy advances. Since, it is dangerous for your life, your doctor may have to take a decision about continuing the pregnancy or delivering the baby early.
If you have completed 37 weeks, then you may be induced to deliver normally or via c-section at this stage, as your baby is considered to be developed well enough. Otherwise, you may have preterm delivery. The problem of preeclampsia resolves after delivery in most cases.
