![]() It is recommended to drink plenty of liquids. Regular urination improves the quality of the circulating blood. This decreases pressure on several major blood vessels and increases the desire to urinate. ![]() In addition, a woman may be told to lie on her left side. Lying down for long periods reduces blood pressure. If there's no improvement in a couple of days, the woman is admitted to the hospital for observation. Typically only in the mildest of cases, where high blood pressure can be measured but doesn't cause any symptoms, is the woman allowed to return home – and only on the condition that she go straight to bed and stay there. Any time that the blood is low in clotting agents (such as platelets), the risk of hemorrhage (bleeding) increases, especially in the brain.ĭoctors and hospitals take preeclampsia very seriously. Platelets are tiny blood components largely responsible for clotting blood. Elevated liver enzymes are a sign of an inflamed or overactive liver. It's a normal bodily function, but when it speeds up, as in HELLP syndrome, the cells are killed faster than they can be replaced and anemia is the result. Hemolysis is destruction of red blood cells in the liver. HELLP syndrome – this stands for hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count.The bleeding may be life-threatening to both the mother and the fetus. abruptio placentae – the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus and internal bleeding occurs where it had been attached.accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema).retinal detachment, which may lead to blindness.cerebral (brain) hemorrhage due to burst blood vessels in the brain (the main cause of maternal death).eclampsia – potentially fatal seizures caused by high intracranial (in the head) blood pressure.Severe complications of preeclampsia include: ![]() Increasing blood pressure will lead to increasing hyperreflexia (overactive reflexes), until eventually uncontrollable seizures result. With preeclampsia, a woman's reflexes become unusually active. Recently, autism and developmental delay have both been linked to severe preeclampsia. The baby's growth may be affected because high blood pressure can affect how much blood flows through the placenta to the baby. In extreme cases, this can lead to retinal detachment and possibly blindness. Visual problems may occur because high blood pressure stresses the retina, pushing it forward. ![]() Severe preeclampsia is diagnosed when blood pressure is over 160/110 mm Hg, accompanied by severe proteinuria, severe headache, abdominal pain, visual problems, or decreased growth of the baby. Technically, preeclampsia is mild if blood pressure is over 140/90 mm Hg (see our condition article on high blood pressure), or if it rises by more than a certain amount and there is protein in the urine or swelling of the hands, ankles, and feet. Women who develop high blood pressure while pregnant (about 7% of pregnancies) run a slightly higher risk of these complications, and women with preeclampsia run the highest risk of all. Women who have high blood pressure before pregnancy have a higher risk of miscarriage or giving birth to babies that are premature, underweight, or stillborn. Preeclampsia and eclampsia remain leading causes of maternal death in childbirth. As many as 1 in 60 women with severe preeclampsia may develop a seizure. Approximately 1 in 200 women with mild preeclampsia go on to have full-blown eclampsia, a condition leading to seizures that can be fatal to both mother and fetus. Preeclampsia can be either mild or severe. It may also be accompanied by other symptoms such as blurred vision, headache, nausea, and pain in the upper abdomen.Ībout 3% to 7% of pregnancies are complicated by preeclampsia. This swelling can lead to weight gain outside of the normal weight gain expected during pregnancy. Preeclampsia can also cause swelling, particularly in the face and hands. This condition used to be called toxemia of pregnancy. Preeclampsia occurs after week 20 of pregnancy and is characterized by an increase in blood pressure (hypertension) and high levels of protein in the urine ( proteinuria). Preeclampsia is a condition that some women experience during pregnancy. ![]()
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