Throughout your pregnancy, you have to maintain a good general health’s status as any abnormalities or complications might endanger your life and the baby. One of the common problems during pregnancy is pregnancy-induced hypertension.
What is Pregnancy Induced Hypertension?
In order to understand what is pregnancy-induced hypertension, expecting mummies have first to understand the meaning of hypertension.
Hypertension occurs when the pressure inside of your blood vessel is higher than the normal rate.
Meanwhile, a pregnant woman who is affected with hypertension is diagnosed as pregnancy-induced hypertension which is also known as gestational hypertension.
Approximately around 6-8 per cent of pregnant women are affected by this medical condition.
According to the American Pregnancy Organization, without proper treatments, it can worsen and lead to a more serious condition, which is preeclampsia.
What are the Symptoms?
According to familydoctor.org, there are a few symptoms that pregnant mother has to look out for:
- Drowsiness
- Excessive vomiting
- Blood in the urine
- Vomiting blood
- A lesser amount of urine
- Severe headaches
- Excessive swelling of hands and feet
- Excessive nausea
- Rapid heartbeat
- Fever
- Sudden blindness
- Double vision
- Ringing or buzzing sound in ears
- Blurred vision
- Pain in the abdomen part
Usually, the doctor will check the mum’s blood pressure during a prenatal checkup. If it is higher than the usual, your doctor might ask you to run for further checkup.
For example, if you are suspected to have gestational hypertension, you might have to run a urine test. A high amount of protein in your urine might indicate that you are affected with it.
Who is at Risk?
For some women, they are more susceptible to this medical condition. Mummies, here are some risk factors that you need to know suggestively before you get pregnant.
It can keep you to be mindful of your health condition. As stated by Dr Sri Wahyu Taher:
- Women with history of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. For instance, whose sisters and mothers used to have pregnancy-induced hypertension.
- Women who are pregnant for the first time.
- Women who previously had preeclampsia.
- Pregnant women of the age above 40.
- Obese women.
- Women with high BMI before pregnancy and during early pregnancy.
- Women with multiple pregnancies.
- Women who have pre-existing hypertension.
- Women who have kidney disease.
- Women who have diabetes.
- Women who have antiphospholipid antibodies.
- Women who have connective tissue disease.
- Women with inherited thrombophilia.
- Women with hydatidiform mole.
- Women with long birth interval.
- Pregnant women with hydrops with a large placenta.
If you are among those with risk factors above, you should consult your doctor and get a good prenatal care.
What are the Treatments for Pregnancy Induced Hypertension?
Certain risk factors are unavoidable. Some women are just more susceptible to it. However, this doesn’t mean you are doomed. If treated early with the right measure, it is curable for both you and the baby.
According to the American Pregnancy Organization, the treatment for pregnancy-induced hypertension is depending on how close you are to your due date.
Let say that your due date is approaching and your baby is well developed, your doctor might suggest you to deliver your baby as soon as possible.
This is because the seriousness of this medical condition will drop as soon as you give birth. If there is no other complication, this might be your doctor’s suggestion.
However, if your pregnancy is still early and the baby does not fully developed yet, other measures might be taken, such as:
- Frequent prenatal checkups to monitor your baby’s health and yours closely. Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure’s reading and you might have to undergo few tests from time to time.
- To monitor your diet. You might have to cut down your salt intake and drink enough water, suggestively eight glasses every day.
- To change your lifestyle. Your doctor might suggest you to have enough rest and lying on your left side in order to take the weight of the baby off your major blood vessels.
This is to prevent other health problems. For example, if your baby is born very early, he/she might encounter other complications that the doctor want to prevent initially.
That is why your doctor might choose to help you to go through your pregnancy with such measures until it is safe for you and the baby for delivery.
Although, if you and the baby is terribly sick, your doctor might advise otherwise.
Also, if your condition is severe, you might be treated with some medications that suit your condition.
Prevent is Better Than Cure
It is always better to prevent than to cure, isn’t it? Even before getting pregnant, it is important for mummies to take care of your health.
Pregnant women who are affected by pregnancy-induced hypertension can lessen the severity of the condition by practising a few things.
Work on what you can do such as monitor your diet and lifestyle. How about trying these out:
- Lessen your salt intake. Take it just to give your food some taste. Remember, a high intake of salt will increase your blood pressure.
- Drink plenty of water. At least, take eight glasses of water per day.
- Exercise regularly. A fit and healthy body will improve your health.
- Avoid any alcoholic and caffeinated drinks. It is not good for consumption, especially for pregnant women.
- Eat fresh and balance food. Mummies have to avoid any junk and processed food like canned food.
- Throughout the day, lift your feet several times.
- If needed, after consulting your doctor, prescription of certain medicines and supplements might be included to your diet. In certain condition, this will better your health.
Doubtless, pregnancy induced hypertension is a serious medical condition. However, with early and right treatment, you can have a safe delivery without compromising yours and the baby’s health.
Mummies, always keep in mind that your health is so important if not for your baby, but for your well-being.
You have to take care of your health not only during and after pregnancy but prior to it. A healthy body is like a machine that has to go under strict surveillance to always have its condition at optimum level.
With a proper maintenance such as a good diet and healthy lifestyle, you can prevent not just this medical condition but others as well.