Preeclampsia is a fairly common pregnancy complication where someone who is pregnant develops high blood pressure. During preeclampsia, the expecting mother will also have high levels of protein in their urine and swelling in their arms and legs. Preeclampsia is a fairly common pregnancy complication, as it affects roughly 10% of all pregnancies in South Africa. However, it is also a serious complication that requires immediate attention.
The biggest danger of preeclampsia is that it can lead to eclampsia, which can be life-threatening, both to the mother and her unborn child. If you start to experience headaches, upper right side belly pain, dizziness, trouble breathing, and unexpected weight gain in a short period of time, you should have your blood pressure taken and your urine sampled to see if you have preeclampsia.
The exact treatment for your preeclampsia will depend on how bad your condition is and how far along you are in your pregnancy. If you develop preeclampsia at 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy, your doctor will likely recommend inducing labour or performing a C-section. If you develop preeclampsia around week 20 or soon thereafter, your doctor will treat your symptoms to give your baby more time to develop.
If you have mild preeclampsia early in pregnancy, your doctor will start by recommending bed rest. This will force you to relax and rest in the hopes that your blood pressure lowers.
In addition to bed rest, it will be crucial to monitor your condition to make sure it is not getting worse. This will include regular blood pressure checks, urine samples to check your protein levels, physical exams to monitor your pain and discomfort, and blood tests to check protein levels. If your blood pressure and protein levels remain high, you may need to have your baby early.
In addition to careful monitoring and bed rest, you may need medications to reduce your blood pressure and manage other symptoms. However, doctors are very cautious about prescribing medications during pregnancy due to potential complications. Here are some of the medications you might receive.
It is vital to lower your blood pressure if you have preeclampsia. Currently, methyldopa, nifedipine, and labetalol are the antihypertensives of choice to reduce your blood pressure during pregnancy.
If your doctor suspects that your condition will not improve and you will have to deliver your child early, they will prescribe corticosteroids. Corticosteroids, such as methylprednisolone and prednisone, help the lungs of your unborn child develop and strengthen, which is important for preterm deliveries.
Aside from high blood pressure, having seizures is another massive risk during preeclampsia. Therefore, magnesium sulphate and other anticonvulsants may be prescribed to keep you from having seizures.
Because there is no permanent cure for preeclampsia, your condition will not resolve until you give birth. Therefore, as soon as it is safe to do so, your doctor will either induce labour or perform a C-section. However, they will wait as long as possible to do this because giving birth too early puts your baby at serious risk. Once you give birth, preeclampsia typically resolves within a month.
Because of the risks and complications of preeclampsia, it is important to do everything you can to avoid getting it. The best ways to do this are by exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and monitoring your blood pressure and sugar levels. If you have preeclampsia, it is important to monitor it carefully and to receive treatment from a medical professional.