- Symptoms of mild preeclampsia
- Symptoms of severe preeclampsia
- Symptoms of preeclampsia after childbirth
- Types of preeclampsia
Pre-eclampsia is a complication of pregnancy, and appears to occur due to problems in the development of placental vessels, leading to spasms in blood vessels, changes in blood clotting ability and decreased blood circulation. Its symptoms can manifest during pregnancy, especially after the 20th week of gestation, at delivery or after delivery and include high blood pressure, greater than 140 x 90 mmHg, presence of proteins in the urine and swelling of the body due to the retention of liquids.
Some of the conditions that increase the risk of pre-eclampsia during pregnancy include when a woman becomes pregnant for the first time, is over 35 or under 17, is diabetic, obese, is pregnant with twins or has a history of kidney disease, hypertension or previous pre-eclampsia.
There are two types of pre-eclampsia, but the most dangerous is severe pre-eclampsia, which can progress to eclampsia, which can lead to the death of the mother and baby, when left untreated. Learn how to identify eclampsia and what are its risks.
Symptoms of mild preeclampsia
Symptoms of mild preeclampsia include:
- Blood pressure equal to 140 x 90 mmHg; Presence of proteins in the urine; Sudden weight gain, such as 2 to 3 kg in 1 or 2 days.
In the presence of at least one of the symptoms, the pregnant woman should go to the emergency room or hospital to measure blood pressure and have blood and urine tests, to see whether or not she has pre-eclampsia.
How to treat mild preeclampsia
If the pregnant woman has pre-eclampsia, she should quickly start the treatment that can be done at home with a low salt diet, increase the water intake to about 2 to 3 liters per day, rest, and the pregnant woman should lie down for the left side to increase blood circulation to the kidneys and uterus and medicines to control blood pressure, if necessary.
During treatment, it is important for the pregnant woman to control blood pressure and have urine tests to prevent preeclampsia from getting worse. Know what are the risks of high blood pressure in pregnancy and what to do to control.
Symptoms of severe preeclampsia
Symptoms of severe pre-eclampsia include, in addition to swelling and weight gain:
- Blood pressure greater than 160 x 110 mmHg; Strong and constant headache; Pain in the right side of the abdomen; Decrease in the amount of urine and the urge to urinate; Changes in vision, such as a blurred or darkened view; Stomach burning sensation.
If the pregnant woman has these symptoms, she should immediately go to the hospital.
How to treat severe preeclampsia
The treatment of severe pre-eclampsia is done at the hospital. The pregnant woman needs to be hospitalized to receive antihypertensive drugs through the vein and to monitor her health and that of the baby, who are at risk. Depending on the baby's gestational age, it may be necessary to induce labor to treat preeclampsia.
The treatment of severe pre-eclampsia should be done as soon as possible, as complications such as HELLP syndrome, which can cause kidney failure, liver rupture and even death of the pregnant woman, can occur, as well as eclampsia that occurs when pre- eclampsia worsens, which can lead to seizures, coma and death. Learn more about how it arises, how to treat it and the main complications of pre-eclampsia.
Symptoms of preeclampsia after childbirth
If the woman, after discharge from the hospital, experiences any of the typical symptoms of pre-eclampsia during the first 3 months after delivery, it is important to go to the emergency room or hospital, as it may be necessary to continue treatment for pre-eclampsia with medication antihypertensive drugs.
Symptoms that may indicate postpartum pre-eclampsia may be:
- Blood pressure greater than 140 x 90 mmHg; Nausea, Vomiting; Vision changes; Headache very strong and constant.
Generally, pre-eclampsia tends to normalize after delivery with the disappearance of symptoms.
Types of preeclampsia
To diagnose and identify the type of preeclampsia, it is considered:
- Mild pre-eclampsia: happens when blood pressure rises above 140 x 90 mmHg, in pregnant women with 20 or more weeks of gestation, and is accompanied by an increase in the amount of protein in the urine, with a value above 300 mg in 24 hours, which can be indicated by the presence of foamy urine; Pre-eclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension: when the pregnant woman already had previous arterial hypertension, which is very common, and the diagnosis is confirmed if there is an increase of 30 mmHg in maximum blood pressure or 15 mmHg in minimum blood pressure, accompanied by an increase urinary protein or generalized swelling; Severe pre-eclampsia: happens when blood pressure reaches values equal to or greater than 160 x 100 mmHg and the amount of protein in the urine exceeds values of 2 grams per day, accompanied by signs and symptoms such as decreased urine volume daily, less than 500 ml in 24 hours, abdominal pain, visual changes, increased liver enzymes and reduced platelet numbers in the blood.
In addition, although pre-eclampsia is more common during pregnancy, it can occur in the postpartum period, especially in women who are already at risk, since, during labor, medications and serum in the vein can be made., in addition to the risk of increased pressure.
The evolution of pre-eclampsia is often unpredictable, and can become severe and cause life-threatening very quickly, so it is important to do prenatal care regularly and seek medical attention whenever symptoms appear that indicate this disease.
