Hypertension and Pregnancy

Patients with preeclampsia may encounter symptoms in addition to those that are typical of hypertension, such as: extra protein in the urine or other indications of kidney issues, sudden weight gain and swelling, especially in the face and hands, severe headaches; changes in vision, including temporary loss of vision, blurred vision, or being sensitive to light, upper stomach pain, typically under the right ribs, nausea or vomiting; reduced levels of platelets in the blood, impairment of liver function, and shortness of breath brought on by fluid in the lungs.

Preeclampsia is associated with more severe pregnancy-related swelling than regular pregnancy-related swelling.

Book an appointment with your gynaecologist right away if you experience any of these symptoms.

There are risk factors that may cause a pregnant woman to develop preeclampsia:

Maternal personal risk factors include: first pregnancy, age under 18 or over 35, Preeclampsia history, a first-degree relative who has the disease in the family, BMI 30, pregnancy intervals of less than two years or greater than ten years, and obesity.
Medical risk factors for mothers: chronic hypertension, particularly when it is brought on by conditions like hypercortisolism, hyperaldosteronism, pheochromocytoma, or renal artery stenosis; Type 1 or type 2 diabetes, especially when combined with microvascular illness, obesity, thrombophilia, systemic lupus erythematosus, and renal disease past migraine history, use of SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) after the first trimester
Multiple pregnancies, hydrops fetalis, gestational trophoblastic illness, and triploidy are classified as fetal risk factors.
Pre-eclampsia is more likely if you had high blood pressure before becoming pregnant, if you had pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy, or if your mother or sister had pre-eclampsia

Those with an average risk of gestational diabetes may require a screening test in the second trimester (between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy), but women with a higher risk may have a test at the first prenatal appointment.

Clinical characteristics obtained via history,
physical examination,
Laboratory investigations:
For preeclampsia: urinalysis; complete blood cell (CBC) count; and serum sodium, potassium, creatinine, and glucose levels (the presence of high levels of progesterone, an aldosterone antagonist, during a normal pregnancy may mask the hypokalemia from hyperaldosteronism, creatinine clearance, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), albumin, 24-hour urinary protein, serum calcium, uric acid, glycosyl
For chronic hypertension, a CBC count, electrolytes, BUN, creatinine, liver enzymes, and a urine dip for protein, as well as a 24-hour urine collection for creatinine clearance and protein excretion, are recommended.
Other investigation techniques like: Chest radiography, computed tomography (CT) scans of the liver and brain, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain, ultrasound, echocardiography, electrocardiography, and electroencephalography, and fetal monitoring.
You can feel fine if you have high blood pressure, so it is critical to have your blood pressure and urine tested on a regular basis.

To lessen the danger of a maternal stroke, acute severe hypertension in pregnancy is a medical emergency that requires therapy to control blood pressure within 30 minutes of confirmation.
Women with suspected preeclampsia and hypertension are often admitted to a hospital for intensive monitoring and assessment.
Drugs like nifedipine, nadolol, metoprolol, labetalol, and methyldopa. Diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and Angiotensin II receptor antagonists/blockers should not be used when pregnant.
Lifestyle optimization: Attend prenatal visits, take prescribed blood pressure medicine, stay active, consume a balanced diet, and be aware of what is forbidden.
Women whose hypertension worsens during pregnancy are frequently placed on bed rest or restricted activity.
The dangers and advantages of medication should be discussed with your gynaecologists and cardiologists if you are expecting and have a history of high blood pressure.