Preeclampsia is a serious complication that occurs during pregnancy, often in the short term, but can occur as early as 20 weeks or even after delivery. It is mainly characterized by high blood pressure (high blood pressure) and protein in the urine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), preeclampsia occurs in about 1 in 25 pregnancies in the United States.
Preeclampsia can be life-threatening for both mother and baby, so it is very convenient to detect and treat it early to reduce the chances of further problems.
“It’s called preeclampsia because it occurs before a condition called eclampsia, which is a seizure that occurs because the user has inflammation in the brain,” says Lauren Theilen, MD, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Utah Health University. “Poorly controlled preeclampsia can have harmful effects on many parts of the body. “
In addition to eclampsia, untreated preeclampsia can have the following consequences:
Regular prenatal appointments are vital for monitoring blood pressure. Regular check-ups, especially late in pregnancy, are used to detect preeclampsia.
Others include:
It is also imaginable to suffer from preeclampsia without any symptoms.
The exact cause of preeclampsia is unknown, so it’s hard to know who will develop preeclampsia and who won’t. However, there are some risk points that make this more likely. If you have any of the following risk points, be sure to contact your prenatal care team so they can monitor your pregnancy accordingly:
“Even other people without risk points experience preeclampsia, but knowing those risk points can be helpful in identifying who would benefit from preventative remedies like aspirin,” Theilen says. “It would inspire all pregnant women to ask their prenatal care provider. “if they deserve to take aspirin, because it’s the only thing we know that reduces the threat of preeclampsia. “
Preeclampsia levels range from moderate to severe, but the only way to cure the disease is to give birth. If you have severe preeclampsia, your doctor will most likely propose a preterm birth before 37 weeks.
“Because of all the bad things that can happen to mothers and babies, you have to anticipate delivery earlier than ideal,” says Theilen. “We balance the dangers of prematurity with the dangers of stillbirth and major maternal health issues. “related to the diagnosis of preeclampsia. “
Mild cases of preeclampsia can be monitored outdoors in the hospital through regular blood pressure checks, fetal well-being checks, and lab tests. Severe cases of preeclampsia deserve to be treated with high blood pressure medications and more common maternal and fetal well-being checks. being controls in the hospital. The recommended delivery time depends on the severity of the disease.
Knowing what preeclampsia is, its symptoms and symptoms, and if you have any threat points, will allow you to get the right prenatal care for a healthy pregnancy.
“Pregnant patients can report any symptoms or symptoms to their healthcare team and advocate for themselves if they feel something is wrong,” Theilen says. “This way we can find preeclampsia and treat it properly. “