It is true what they say about putting your life on the line when you are carrying a child. Anything can go wrong during the nine-month journey that will endanger both the mother and the baby despite the better healthcare practices and diagnostic tools we have today. One such common problem that is on the rise are the cases of high blood pressure disorders during pregnancy. Let’s examine each type below.
Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia not only manifests as the elevation of blood pressure, but it can also affect multiple organs in the body. This is notable in the presence of protein in the urine or proteinuria during the 20th week of gestation. Preeclampsia is prominent in first-time mothers or those who have hypertension, kidney issues, immune system disorders, and those older than 40 years.
The blood pressure level must be at least 140/90 mm Hg and there should be a presence of protein in the urine of at least 300 mg to be diagnosed with preeclampsia. Other symptoms include edema, visual disturbances, cyanosis, impaired liver function, fetal growth restriction, and epigastric pain or right-upper quadrant pain.
Gestational Hypertension
This was previously named pregnancy-induced hypertension because it happens after 20 weeks of gestation. A pregnant woman will be diagnosed with this condition if the elevated blood pressure is at least 140/po mm Hg and there are no signs of preeclampsia. This also means that the doctors must first rule out preeclampsia if there is elevated blood pressure but there are no other symptoms after the 12th week of postpartum.
Unlike preeclampsia. Gestational hypertension means that there is no protein in the urine, organ damage, and other symptoms. However, there are still a lot of women who develop preeclampsia between the 24th and 35th weeks of gestation after having been diagnosed with gestational hypertension.
Chronic Hypertension
This condition is characterized by elevated high blood pressure even before the pregnancy. However, it can also start at the 20th week of pregnancy or the 12th postpartum week. A blood pressure of 179/109 mm Hg or less is considered mild hypertension, while a blood pressure of 180/110 mm HG or more is considered severe.
Most of the women who suffer from this are in their late childbearing stage. Although this is less severe than preeclampsia, chronic hypertension can still cause intrauterine growth restriction. The current medication might be changed especially if you are using a beta-blocker to avoid small birth weight for the baby, while ACE inhibitors may cause congenital defects in babies.
Chronic Hypertension with Superimposed Preeclampsia
Women who have hypertension before pregnancy are at risk of suffering from preeclampsia. The high blood pressure gets worse and there are signs of damage to the other organs. These cases are treated the same way patients with preeclampsia are treated to avoid complications.
