Hypertension And Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a wonderful and joyous time in a woman’s life, but if you suffer with chronic hypertension, it can also be a scary time. And even if you’ve never suffered from high blood pressure while not with child, you still may experience hypertension during pregnancy. Let’s break it all down and examine the risks.

Chronic Hypertension – Chronic hypertension is when the mother has had an ongoing problem with high blood pressure, even before becoming pregnant. In normal pregnancies, a woman’s blood pressure tends to go down during the first 20 weeks of gestation, so if the patient is getting high readings at their regular prenatal check-ups, it is a good bet that they have chronic hypertension that has gone untreated, rather than gestational hypertension.

Treatment: The patient should consult with her health care practitioner to decide which treatment is best. If the patient is already on an anti-hypertensive medication, the caregiver will determine if the medication should be continued, substituted or stopped altogether. The patient must make certain she follows all of her doctor’s guidelines and does not try to self-treat with counterfeit medications or herbal supplements that have not been approved by her healthcare team.

Gestational Hypertension – This is the type of hypertension that occurs after 20 weeks gestation. If a patient shows readings significantly higher than during the early weeks of pregnancy, she may be exhibiting symptoms of gestational hypertension. Anything greater than 160/110 is considered dangerous and must be carefully observed.

Treatment: Mandatory rest periods, suspension of work and even hospitalization may be required to bring down a patient’s blood pressure. Otherwise, close observation of the mother and fetus will continue. The doctor may order fetal non-stress tests to be given twice weekly and/or ultrasounds to check in on the baby.

Preeclampsia/Eclampsia – The most severe form of pregnancy-induced hypertension is preeclampsia and eclampsia. This is when a patient’s high blood pressure is paired with bodily swelling that can’t be relieved and protein in the patient’s urine. If preeclampsia is not dealt with quickly, it can have dire effects on both the mother and the fetus. Furthermore, eclampsia can also result, which consists of the symptoms listed above plus maternal seizures and/or coma.

Treatment: If a patient gets to this point, the most effective treatment is delivery of the baby. If the fetus is not mature enough to live outside the womb, a medication called magnesium sulfate will likely be given intravenously to stop the progression of preeclampsia into eclampsia.

As always, a healthy diet and a moderate exercise plan even before getting pregnant are keys to keeping blood pressure normalized. Once you become pregnant, regular monitoring of your blood pressure at prenatal visits is essential, and swift action against impending problems is the safest bet.

Be well, take care of yourself, and enjoy your pregnancy.

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Liberty Kontranowski is a freelance writer and blogger with hundreds of articles published online and in print, covering everything from sexual health to parenting to beauty, fashion, entertainment and more. Liberty is the newest member of the Secure Medical team providing the highest quality articles to AccessRx.com.