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Progressive symptoms As pre-eclampsia develops, it can cause fluid retention oedema , which often causes sudden swelling of the feet, ankles, face and hands. As pre-eclampsia progresses, it may cause: severe headaches vision problems, such as blurring or seeing flashing lights dizziness pain in the upper abdomen just below the ribs shortness of breath nausea and vomiting excessive weight gain due to fluid retention less urine feeling generally unwell If you notice any symptoms of pre-eclampsia, seek medical advice immediately.
Without immediate treatment, pre-eclampsia may lead to a number of serious complications, including: eclampsia convulsions HELLP syndrome - a combined liver and blood-clotting disorder problems in the kidneys and brain stroke However, these complications are rare.
How pre-eclampsia affects your unborn baby Around 5 to 10 in pre-term deliveries in Australia are due to pre-eclampsia or its associated complications. Risk factors Some factors have been identified that could increase your chance of developing pre-eclampsia.
The main risk factors are: You had pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy. There is an approximately a 1 in 5 chance that you will develop the condition again in later pregnancies. You have an existing medical problem: for example, diabetes , kidney disease , migraines or high blood pressure.
Other risk factors are: It is your first pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia is more likely to happen during the first pregnancy than during any subsequent pregnancies. It has been at least 10 years since your last pregnancy.
You have a family history of the condition. Preeclampsia is a very serious blood pressure disorder that happens after 20 weeks of pregnancy, during labor, or postpartum.
It's caused by abnormal blood flow within the placenta. The most common symptom is unusual swelling. Your healthcare provider will check your blood pressure at each prenatal visit and, if it's high, test for protein in your urine. If you have preeclampsia, you'll probably be given medication. If your symptoms become severe or your baby isn't doing well, you'll be admitted to the hospital for delivery.
Preeclampsia is a serious high blood pressure disorder that happens during pregnancy or soon after childbirth. It's a potentially life-threatening condition that affects about 5 percent of pregnancies in the United States.
With proper care, most pregnant women with preeclampsia have healthy babies and stay healthy themselves. Preeclampsia may not cause any noticeable symptoms but can still be very dangerous for you and your baby, even if you feel fine. Your healthcare provider will screen you for the condition at every prenatal visit by taking your blood pressure, and, if it's high, testing your urine for protein. Preeclampsia most commonly develops during the last trimester.
Ninety percent of cases occur at 34 weeks or later , but it can happen at any time after 20 weeks, during labor, or even up to six weeks after delivery. When it develops before 34 weeks it's called early-onset preeclampsia. Experts believe that preeclampsia is caused by abnormal blood flow within the placenta.
In many women, the roots of their preeclampsia stretch back to the early days of their pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a disease of abnormal blood vessels. The placenta learns to grow from signals from maternal circulation. If a mom's blood vessels have damage — from long-term diabetes or chronic hypertension , for example — they will "teach" this damage to the growing placenta, increasing the risk of preeclampsia.
There's also evidence that changes in blood flow within the placenta trigger the release of high levels of certain placental proteins into your bloodstream.
This can set off a complex chain of reactions that includes:. Why this happens to some women and not others isn't fully understood, and there's probably no single explanation. Genetics, nutrition, certain underlying diseases, the way your immune system reacts to pregnancy, and other factors may all play a role.
Preeclampsia doesn't always cause noticeable symptoms, especially in the early stages, and symptoms can also vary from woman to woman. Some signs of preeclampsia — such as swelling , nausea , and weight gain — may seem like normal pregnancy complaints, so it's important to be aware of any potential warning signs. Unusual swelling is the most common symptom of preeclampsia, so call your healthcare provider if you:. Note: Not all women with preeclampsia have obvious swelling or dramatic weight gain, and not all women with swelling or rapid weight gain have preeclampsia.
Most women who get preeclampsia develop it near their due dates and do fine with proper care. But the earlier you have it, and the more severe it is, the greater the risks for you and your baby. It's more common to get preeclampsia during a first pregnancy. However, once you've had preeclampsia, you're more likely to develop it again in later pregnancies.
The more severe the condition and the earlier it appears, the higher your risk. Certain health conditions may also make it more likely you'll develop preeclampsia. These include:. If you're at risk for preeclampsia, your provider may schedule more frequent prenatal visits in your third trimester to monitor you closely.
You'll likely be asked to monitor your blood pressure at home, too. Your healthcare provider will check for high blood pressure and protein in your urine and may order more tests as well, such as:. If you're diagnosed with preeclampsia, you and your baby will be monitored closely for the rest of your pregnancy.
If your blood pressure is extremely high, you'll be given medication immediately to lower it. If it's not extremely high, you may or may not be given medication, depending on how close you are to delivering your baby. If you have preeclampsia with severe features, you'll also be given an IV medication called magnesium sulfate.
This is to prevent eclampsia seizures. The earlier pre-eclampsia is diagnosed and monitored, the better the outlook for mother and baby. There are a number of things that can increase your chances of developing pre-eclampsia, such as:.
Other things that can slightly increase your chances of developing pre-eclampsia include:. If you're thought to be at a high risk of developing pre-eclampsia, you may be advised to take a 75 to mg daily dose of aspirin from the 12th week of pregnancy until your baby is born.
Although the exact cause of pre-eclampsia is not known, it's thought to occur when there's a problem with the placenta, the organ that links the baby's blood supply to the mother's. If you're diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, you should be referred for an assessment by a specialist, usually in hospital. While in hospital, you'll be monitored closely to determine how severe the condition is and whether a hospital stay is needed.
The only way to cure pre-eclampsia is to deliver the baby, so you'll usually be monitored regularly until it's possible for your baby to be delivered. This will normally be at around 37 to 38 weeks of pregnancy, but it may be earlier in more severe cases.
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