Preeclampsia is one of the most commonly feared complications of pregnancy. It nearly affects one woman in every 25 pregnancies in the US. Being such a common disease, every woman intending to be pregnant should be aware of its risk factors, how it appears, and how it should be properly managed.
“Making a decision to have a child–it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ”
Elizabeth Stone
What is Preeclampsia?
Preeclampsia (pregnancy toxemia) is a pregnancy-specific disease that appears as elevated blood pressure above 140/80 on two occasions at least 4 hours apart, with signs suggesting damage to other organs like the liver, kidney, retina, or even your brain. Most patients are diagnosed early in the disease when only the blood pressure is elevated and protein is detected in urine. The early detection of the disease is anchored to proper regular prenatal care.
What causes preeclampsia?
No one knows precisely what can trigger preeclampsia. However, there is a wide agreement that it may be started when the blood delivered to the placenta is insufficient. When the placenta turns hungry(ischemic), it pours multiple chemical substances into the blood of a pregnant lady, which causes extensive damage to other organs. In fact, it is considered a vicious circle that can have fatal outcomes. The poured chemical substances narrow the blood vessels all over the body, resulting in famine all over the body, including the placenta !!!.
What are the risks that make me susceptible to pregnancy toxemia ??
Although the actual mechanism of toxemia during pregnancy is not completely understood, multiple risk factors may pose your risk for it. Most of these risk factors are readily changeable and can lead to minimizing the risks of getting toxemia throughout your pregnancy. The following risks are the most clinically relevant risks of toxemia:
Previous preeclampsia: The risks of having preeclampsia when you already have one in an earlier pregnancy is significantly high, reaching about 20%, according to some studies.
The presence of pre-existing HTN favors developing preeclampsia in your future pregnancy.
The dark-colored race is associated with a higher incidence of preeclampsia, almost twice the risk of other races.
New paternity.
Age is a major risk factor for preeclampsia, especially in women over 35.
Obesity before or during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk for preeclampsia(check this post for more details).
In Vitro fertilization, although hard to mention IVF, increases the risks of preeclampsia.
SMOKING.
How can I know that I have preeclampsia?
Generally, preeclampsia is asymptomatic and diagnosed when you get regular antenatal care. Therefore, the presence of preeclampsia symptoms may indicate that your condition is already complicated and you are in great need of immediate medical attention. The urgency of intervention is essential to save your life initially and then the baby's life. The alarming symptoms are the following:
1-Headache denoting sky-high blood pressure.
2-Blurring of vision indicates affection of your retina.
3-Right upper abdominal pain may be severe enough to knock you down.
4-Appearance of excessive frothiness of your urine(usually early).
5-Intense severe generalized abdomen pain.
How is preeclampsia screened?
Most women develop preeclampsia after 20 weeks of gestation. The health care providers may detect that you have preeclampsia in any antenatal care visit by measuring your blood pressure. Whenever healthcare providers see elevated blood pressure, he/she will direct you to calculate the urine content of proteins if a high diagnosis of uncomplicated preeclampsia is established. Once the diagnosis is established, the doctor may ask you to do some labs to ensure your condition is not complicated. Afterward, medical intervention should start at once.
How is preeclampsia treated?
Preeclampsia treatment generally depends on your condition and the stage of the disease. If you have the uncomplicated type of preeclampsia (just an elevation of blood pressure and protein in urine), the physician may prescribe you some medication to lower your blood pressure. Do not worry. This medication is suitable for pregnancy and carries no risks to your baby (for more details, please check this post). Suppose your condition falls on the complicated type(Hypertension + affection of other organs like the retina…). In that case, the physician may require close follow-ups such as hospitalization and more advanced medications. At this stage, your life is a priority by any means.
IS preeclampsia harmful to me?
In a word, It is potentially fatal. Preeclampsia can easily send a mother's life if it makes it easy to follow medical guidance and takes her medication. Preeclampsia can be complicated by multiple conditions, almost all of which are potentially fatal:
Eclampsia (seizure of pregnancy ).
Rupture of the liver.
Extensive damage to the kidney.
Fracture of the uterus.
Internal bleeding
Bleeding from body openings(nose, anus, mouth, vagina).
IS preeclampsia harmful to the baby?!!
In a word, it is a potentially fatal condition for your baby that can end her/his life before it even starts. The following situation can occur to your baby if your blood pressure continues to rise without control:
Unfortunately, death is intrauterine fetal death.
Low birth weight.
Decrease the surrounding baby water (oligohydramnios)
Prematurity.
In a nutshell…….
Preeclampsia is a potentially fatal condition to you and your baby that can be managed and prevented if detected early and strictly managed with drugs lowering your blood pressure. My last recommendation will be to follow the follow-up schedule, even if you think it is meaningless, to keep your love for your upcoming baby.
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