Send This Site to a Friend
Preeclampsia
Tony Luck
Also known as toxemia, preeclampsia is a condition that affects
some women in the second half of pregnancy. The symptoms are:
high blood pressure, a swelling that won't go away (no, not your
bump! Swelling to the hands, feet, or face), and large amounts of
protein in the urine.
Is It Dangerous? It can be. High blood pressure can kill, and
preeclampsia can reduce the amount of blood passing through the
placenta thus reducing the air and food that reaches your baby,
resulting in low birth weight and other problems.
Who Is Likely To Be At Risk? Preeclampsia often runs in families,
so if your mother or sister had the condition, you will be at
risk. As will women who are overweight (a BMI of over 30), or are
at either age extreme - teenagers and women over 40. Most at risk
are those women who had preeclampsia during a previous pregnancy.
The Symptoms High Blood Pressure: Usually defined as a reading
higher than 140/90. However, if you normally have low blood
pressure, a rise to less than 140/90 could indicate you are at
risk. You can buy blood pressure gauges from your pharmacist if
you want to establish your baseline as soon as you know you are
pregnant.
Swelling: A certain amount of swelling is normal during pregnancy
and you may find it difficult to wear a ring for the full term.
Swelling, or edema, that could provoke concern is caused by
excess fluid and usually appears in the face, legs and hands. Try
pressing your thumb into the swelling, if the indentation remains
for a few seconds after you remove your thumb, tell the nurse at
your next prenatal visit.
Protein In Your Urine: This is not a symptom you will be able to
spot or monitor. You will be tested at each prenatal check-up.
Sudden Weight Gain: An increase in your weight of more than 2
pounds in a week or 6 pounds in a month will ring alarm bells. If
your weight is increasing at that sort of rate, don't diet or try
to lose the weight. Tell the experts at your prenatal, it is
important that they know and let the nurse or doctor judge
whether you are likely to have preeclampsia.
Headaches: If you suffer from migraine-like headaches which are
not relieved by over-the-counter pain killers (do not take
aspirin), contact your doctor immediately.
Vomiting: The nausea that all mothers experience occurs early in
pregnancy and goes away. If you experience sudden vomiting in the
second half of your pregnancy, contact your doctor. Of course
this could just be a bug, but your doctor will check your blood
pressure and urine to see if you have other symptoms of
preeclampsia.
Treatment The best way to protect you and the baby is delivery,
but that will not be considered if it is too early. Until then
you will be prescribed bed rest and medicine to lower your blood
pressure, and frequent monitoring of the baby which may involve
hospitalisation.
This can be frustrating as most women with preeclampsia will not
feel ill.
It is likely your baby will be delivered early, either through
induced labor, or a cesarean section.
Tony and Katy Luck who run a site with advice on
everything about
http://www.baby-talk.co.uk
Find More Related Info:
Also See:
Index of
Relationships & Marriage
Women's Health & Women's
Issues
Your Health and Wellness Center
