What is Preeclampsia?

3 Questions About Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a serious condition that affects about 5 percent of pregnant women. A woman is diagnosed with preeclampsia if she has high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy along with at least one other symptom which can include protein in her urine or liver or kidney abnormalities.

 Most women who get preeclampsia develop mild symptoms near their due date, and they and their babies do fine with proper care. But when preeclampsia is severe, it can affect many organs and cause serious or even life-threatening problems. The only way to get better is to deliver the baby.

Q1.What is the symptoms of preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia can come on suddenly, so it's very important to be aware of the symptoms. Call your midwife or doctor right away if you notice any of these warning signs:

·         Swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, more than slight swelling of your hands, or excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles.

·         Rapid weight gain — more than 4-5 pounds in a week.

·         Severe or persistent headache

·         Vision changes, including double vision, blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, sensitivity to light, or temporary loss of vision

·         Intense pain or tenderness in your upper abdomen

·         Nausea and vomiting

Preeclampsia can occur without any obvious symptoms, particularly in the early stages, and some symptoms may seem like normal pregnancy complaints. So you might not know you have the condition until it's discovered at a routine prenatal visit. This is one of the reasons it's so important not to miss your appointments.

Q2.What puts me at high risk for preeclampsia?

It's more common to get preeclampsia for the first time during a first pregnancy. However, once you've had preeclampsia, you're more likely to develop it again in later pregnancies. Other risk factors include:

·         Having chronic hypertension

·         Having certain blood clotting disorders, diabetes, kidney disease, or an autoimmune disease like lupus

·         Having a close relative (a mother, sister, grandmother, or aunt, for example) who had preeclampsia

·         Being overweight (having a body mass index of 30 or more)

·         Carrying two or more babies

·         Being older than 40

Q3.Is there any way I can avoid getting preeclampsia?

No one knows for sure how to prevent preeclampsia, although there's a lot of research going on in this area. A number of studies have looked into whether taking extra calcium, restricting sale intake, or boosting vitamins can help, but the results have been mixed.

Women who are at high risk of developing preeclampsia may benefit from taking low-dose aspirin. Warning: Never take aspirin during pregnancy unless your caregiver recommends it.

For now, the best thing you can do is get good prenatal care and keep all your prenatal appointments. At each visit your healthcare provider will check your blood pressure and test your urine for protein. It's also important to be aware of the warning signs of preeclampsia so that you can alert your caregiver and get treated as soon as possible.