What Are The Symptoms
High blood pressure doesn’t usually cause symptoms. You will probably feel fine, even if your blood pressure is too high.
Tell your doctor right away if you have any signs of very high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia, such as:
- A severe headache.
- Blurry vision.
- Pain in your upper belly.
- Rapid weight gainmore than 1 kg in a week or 3 kg in a month.
What Should I Do If I Have High Blood Pressure Before During Or After Pregnancy
Before Pregnancy
- Make a plan for pregnancy and talk with your doctor or health care team about the following:
- Any health problems you have or had and any medicines you are taking. If you are planning to become pregnant, talk to your doctor.7 Your doctor or health care team can help you find medicines that are safe to take during pregnancy.
- Ways to keep a healthy weight through healthy eating and regular physical activity.1,7
During Pregnancy
- Get early and regular prenatal careexternal icon. Go to every appointment with your doctor or health care professional.
- Talk to your doctor about any medicines you take and which ones are safe. Do not stop or start taking any type of medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, without first talking with your doctor.7
- Keep track of your blood pressure at home with a home blood pressure monitorexternal icon. Contact your doctor if your blood pressure is higher than usual or if you have symptoms of preeclampsia. Talk to your doctor or insurance company about getting a home monitor.
- Continue to choose healthy foods and keep a healthy weight.8
After Pregnancy
- Pay attention to how you feel after you give birth. If you had high blood pressure during pregnancy, you have a higher risk for stroke and other problems after delivery. Tell your doctor or call 9-1-1 right away if you have symptoms of preeclampsia after delivery. You might need emergency medical care.9,10
What Is High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
A small percentage of pregnant women in the U.S. have high blood pressure at some point during their pregnancy. Some cases are mild other cases are severe. Treatment varies depending on the type you have and how far along you are in your pregnancy.
There are three main types of high blood pressure during pregnancy:
In some cases, high blood pressure during pregnancy can cause harm to you and your baby.
- You may develop gestational diabetes.
- You may experience problems with your heart or kidneys. Youre also at greater risk for a stroke.
- High blood pressure may prevent the placenta from getting enough blood. If the placenta doesnt get enough blood, your baby doesnt get enough oxygen and food. This can cause low birth weight and premature birth.
- High blood pressure can lead to placental abruption. This is when the placenta becomes unattached to the uterus. This can be a life threatening situation to both you and your baby.
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High Blood Pressure Symptoms In Pregnancy
In some cases the symptoms of high blood pressure during pregnancy may be subtle or go unnoticed. Because many changes take place when pregnant, it is important to know the symptoms of high blood pressure.
A blood pressure during pregnancy of 140/90 is considered high during pregnancy and a diagnosis of gestational hypertension is given. Severe high blood pressure in pregnancy is 160/110. A typical blood pressure is around 120/80.
Some signs of high blood pressure in pregnancy include:
- Severe headaches
- Excess protein in urine
- Changes in vision
- Upper abdominal pain
Living With High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
Go to each of your prenatal visits with your doctor. This will allow him or her to monitor your blood pressure. Your doctor may ask you to record your blood pressure at home. He or she can give advice on how to do that. Your doctor will check your urine at each visit. High levels of protein in urine can be a symptom of preeclampsia.
Discuss all your medicines with your doctor. Also, dont start or stop taking any medicines, including over-the-counter medicines, without talking to your doctor. Some of these may affect your blood pressure.
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What Can You Do To Take Care Of Yourself
To help control your blood pressure and have a healthy pregnancy:
- Don’t smoke. This is one of the best things you can do to help your baby be healthy. If you need help to quit smoking, talk to your doctor.
- Be sure to go to all of your prenatal checkups so your doctor or midwife can check your blood pressure. You may also want to check your blood pressure at home.
- Gain an amount of weight that is healthy for you. Your doctor or midwife can help you set a pregnancy weight goal.
- If your doctor says it’s okay, get regular exercise during pregnancy. Walking or swimming several times a week can help lower blood pressure. And it’s good for you and your baby.
- Try to keep your stress level low. This may be hard to do, especially if you continue to work, have young children, or have a hectic schedule. But try to find some time to relax.
How Do I Know If I Have High Blood Pressure
Theres only one way to know if you have high blood pressure: Have a doctor or other health professional measure it. Measuring your blood pressure is quick and painless.
Talk with your health care team about regularly measuring your blood pressure at home, also called self-measured blood pressure monitoring.
High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it.
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What Are The Symptoms And Signs Of Preeclampsia
- Severe headache
- Rapid weight gain
- Swollen face, hands and eyes
- Pain just below the ribs, mostly on the upper right side
- Excessive vomiting
It is possible to have preeclampsia without any symptoms at all! Consult regularly your doctor to track your blood pressure.
Keep in mind that the core feature that differentiates preeclampsia from other causes that increase blood pressure during pregnancy is the presence of protein in urine.
Cmo Puedo Controlar Mi Hipertensin Arterial Durante El Embarazo
Aunque no existe una cura para la hipertensión crónica, hay maneras de manejar con éxito su condición durante el embarazo. El cuidar de sà mismo es la mejor manera de cuidar de su bebé en desarrollo.A continuación se presentan algunos ejemplos:
- Consuma una dieta saludable, y especialmente limitar su consumo de sodio
- Tome sus medicamentos para la presión arterial de la manera que se supone
- Mantenga todas sus citas prenatales
- Mantenerse fÃsicamente activo, aunque su médico le puede recetar reposo en cama si desarrolla preeclampsia
- No fumar, beber alcohol o tomar drogas ilÃcitas
- Controle su aumento de peso no subÃr demasiado
Compilado usando información de las siguientes fuentes:Harms, R. W., Johnson, R. V., & Murray, M. M. . Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.Mayo Clinic Staff. . Preeclampsia. Recuperado de The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. . Your Pregnancy and Childbirth: Month to Month, Fifth Edition. Washington, DC: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
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How Is High Blood Pressure In Pregnancy Diagnosed
High blood pressure usually doesnt cause symptoms until your blood pressure is very high, so it is usually found during an antenatal visit when you have your blood pressure checked.
At each antenatal visit, your midwife or LMC will check your blood pressure and test your urine for protein. An increase in these are warning signs of pre-eclampsia.High blood pressure in pregnancy can be diagnosed if your blood pressure is consistently high on 2 occasions. A sudden increase in blood pressure is often the first sign of a problem. Your midwife will also check if you have any of the symptoms listed above.
Can High Blood Pressure Affect The Baby
High blood pressure in pregnancy can prevent blood from flowing to the placenta. Because the baby doesnt get enough nutrients or oxygen, they are at higher risk of being low birth weight or being born prematurely.
For this reason, its very important that high blood pressure is picked up early and treated.
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Heart Attack And Heart Disease
High blood pressure can damage your arteries by making them less elastic, which decreases the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart and leads to heart disease. In addition, decreased blood flow to the heart can cause:
- Chest pain, also called angina.
- Heart attack, which happens when the blood supply to your heart is blocked and heart muscle begins to die without enough oxygen. The longer the blood flow is blocked, the greater the damage to the heart.
- Heart failure, a condition that means your heart cant pump enough blood and oxygen to your other organs.
What Are The Different Types Of High Blood Pressure In Pregnancy
There are 3 types of high blood pressure in pregnancy.
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Types Of High Blood Pressure In Pregnancy
Even if you have not had high blood pressure before pregnancy, you can develop high blood pressure during pregnancy, called gestational hypertension. A blood pressure during pregnancy of 140/90 is considered high during pregnancy and a diagnosis of gestational hypertension is given. Severe high blood pressure in pregnancy is 160/110.
Types of hypertension in pregnancy include:
- Gestational Hypertension: High blood pressure that occurs during pregnancy, where high blood pressure was not chronic before the pregnancy began. This type of high blood pressure usually returns to normal soon after the baby is delivered.
- Chronic Hypertension: If you have had high blood pressure before pregnancy, or before 20 weeks into your pregnancy, you most likely have chronic hypertension.
- Chronic Hypertension with Superimposed Preeclampsia: High blood pressure that occurs during pregnancy can lead to preeclampsia however, if high blood pressure was present before pregnancy and preeclampsia happens during pregnancy, the diagnosis is chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia.
- Preeclampsia: If high blood pressure occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy when no past chronic high blood pressure diagnosis has been given, and there is protein in urine and/or organs start to work improperly, preeclampsia is diagnosed.
Ophthalmologic Findings In Preeclampsia
Retinal vasospasm is a severe manifestation of maternal disease consider delivery. In addition, retinal edema is known as serous retinal detachment. This can manifest as severely impaired vision if the macula is involved. It generally reflects severe preeclampsia and should also lead to prompt consideration of delivery. The condition typically resolves upon completion of pregnancy and resolution of the hypertension and fluid retention.
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Risks Of High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
Although it may be tough to think about the risks to you or your baby if youre diagnosed with hypertension during your pregnancy, the good news is that many are preventable with the right blood pressure management and treatment.
Risks of high blood pressure during pregnancy for the woman include:
- Organ damage
Risks for the baby include:
- Growth restriction
Can High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy Be Prevented Or Avoided
It cant be prevented. However, you can lower your chances of getting it by making necessary adjustments before getting pregnant. These include getting or maintaining a healthy weight, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly.
If you have chronic hypertension before you get pregnant, talk with your doctor. He or she will look at how well your hypertension is being managed and let you know if you need to make any changes before getting pregnant.
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Whats Considered High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure readings have two numbers. The top one is your systolic number . The bottom one is your diastolic number . The two numbers together show whether your blood pressure is healthy or unhealthy. A high systolic or diastolic can count as high blood pressure. But healthy numbers may also be different for adults, children, and pregnant women.
Cmo Puede La Hipertensin Arterial Durante El Embarazo Afectar A Mi Beb
Es posible tener hipertensión crónica y pasar a tener un bebé sano. Sin embargo, la hipertensión crónica tiene la posibilidad de una serie de efectos adversos en el bebé en desarrollo.Estas posibles preocupaciones incluyen:
- Daño al crecimiento del bebé
- Mayor riesgo de problemas respiratorios antes o durante
- Mayor riesgo de desprendimiento prematuro de la placenta
- Los posibles efectos secundarios de los medicamentos que está tomando
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Changes In Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
As a woman progresses in her pregnancy, her blood pressure may change or return to pre-pregnancy levels. There are a few possible reasons for this.
The amount of blood in a womans body increases. According to the journal Circulation, a womans blood volume increases by as much as 45 percent during pregnancy. This is extra blood that the heart must pump throughout the body.
The left ventricle becomes thicker and larger. This temporary effect allows the heart to work harder to support the increased blood volume.
The kidneys release increased amounts of vasopressin, a hormone that leads to increased water retention.
In most cases, high blood pressure during pregnancy will decrease after the baby is delivered. In cases where blood pressure remains elevated, your doctor may prescribe medication to get it back to normal.
Can High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy Be Prevented
Since the cause of high blood pressure during pregnancy is not known, it is not a condition that can usually be prevented. In some women at high risk for developing high blood pressure, healthcare providers often recommend daily baby aspirin for prevention. High blood pressure during pregnancy can sometimes be managed and controlled with the help of a healthcare provider. However, this may often require delivery of the baby. Your blood pressure will be checked regularly during prenatal appointments. If you have any concerns about your blood pressure, speak with your healthcare provider.
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Does Blood Pressure Remain High After The Birth
High blood pressure in pregnancy usually disappears once the baby is born. However, there may still be some complications during the first few days after the birth and you will need to be monitored carefully for several weeks.
Women who had high blood pressure due to another condition will need to see their doctor to make sure their blood pressure returns to safe levels.
Will My Pregnancy Be Classified As High
One indicator of a high-risk pregnancy includes certain chronic medical problems, such as high blood pressure. Therefore, since you already have hypertension and have become pregnant, your pregnancy is automatically classified as high risk.
High-risk pregnancies typically need expert advice and the care of a healthcare specialist. You will most likely see a perinatologist- an obstetrician who specializes in the care of high-risk pregnancies. Perinatologists give expert care to women who have pre-existing medical conditions, as well as women who develop complications during pregnancy.
In addition, you may be referred to a perinatal care center, before delivery, to lessen the likelihood your baby may become ill. Usually, these centers work together with obstetricians and a newborn intensive care unit to provide the best care for you and your baby.
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What To Know About High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
When most people think about high blood pressure and pregnancy, one of the first things that might come to mind is preeclampsia. And while preeclampsia is a blood pressure condition that affects pregnant and sometimes postpartum women, theres actually a lot more to having high blood pressure than you might think.
Weve rounded up all the need-to-knows about this commonand highly treatablecondition that affects 5% to 8% of all pregnancies in women ages 20 to 44 across the U.S.
Puedo Tener Un Embarazo Saludable Con La Presin Arterial Alta
Es ideal que veá a su médico antes de quedar embarazada. Esto le da a su proveedor de atención médica la oportunidad de ver si su presión arterial está bajo control y revisar sus medicamentos. Ciertos medicamentos no son seguros durante el embarazo y pueden dañar a su bebé.Durante el embarazo, la hipertensión crónica puede empeorar, especialmente si desarrolla preeclampsia encima de la hipertensión crónica. Si esto sucede, usted puede desarrollar complicaciones como la insuficiencia cardÃaca congestiva, cambios en la visión, accidente cerebrovascular, convulsiones y problemas renales o hepáticos.
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