Around 8-10% of pregnant women in India are reported to develop preeclampsia. This condition is one of the factors of a high-risk pregnancy. Preeclampsia is marked by hypertension and damage to other organs, usually the kidneys and liver. The condition generally develops in women with normal blood pressure, after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Here is everything you need to know about the main symptoms and causes of preeclampsia.
Symptoms
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
You may have diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 90mm Hg or more, or systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 140mm Hg or higher monitored at least 4 hours apart on 2 occasions. Else your DBP may be 110mm or more, or SBP 160mm or more. The latter case confirms hypertension within minutes so that antihypertensive therapy can be started soon.
- Protein in the urine (proteinuria)
In a 24-hour specimen of urine, proteinuria may be equal to 0.3g or more. Else there may be a 1+ urine dipstick protein or a protein-creatinine ratio of or more than 0.3.
- Oliguria
You pass less than 400ml of urine within 24 hours.
- Oedema
There’s an abnormal swelling of the face (mainly around your eyes) and hands (not the swelling of the feet in late pregnancy).
- Sudden weight gain
You gain more than 5 pounds of weight per week.
- Headache
It’s dull to severe with a throbbing effect and cannot be managed with regular analgesics.
- Vomiting or nausea
It occurs suddenly, mostly after mid-pregnancy (different from morning sickness during early pregnancy).
- Abdominal pain
It happens in the upper right quadrant region or epigastrium, mainly under your ribs.
- Breathing trouble
You may pant or gasp too often.
- Changes in vision
These include blurred eyesight, seeing flashing lights or spots, or a partial or full loss of vision.
- Hyperreflexia
It involves overresponsive or overactive reflexes.
Causes
The precise cause of preeclampsia involves different factors. It’s usually associated with disturbances in placentation during early pregnancy. In these cases, new blood vessels don’t develop or function properly to supply blood to your placenta. They become narrower than the other blood vessels to react differently to signals of hormones. This reduces blood flow through them.
This is often caused by:
- Specific genes
- An immune system disorder
- Blood vessel damage
- Inadequate blood flow to the uterus
Risk factors
- Primigravida (being pregnant for the first time)
- Adolescent women and those above age 35 years
- Obesity
- Preeclampsia or hypertension in a previous pregnancy
- Pregnancy more than 10 years or less than 2 years apart
- A family history of preeclampsia
- Chronic kidney disorder or hypertension before pregnancy
- Histories of specific health conditions (like urinary tract infections, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine headaches, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, polycystic ovary syndrome, periodontal conditions, sickle cell disease, gestational diabetes or multiple sclerosis)
- Pregnancies facilitated by donor insemination, egg donation or in vitro fertilisation
- Conditions responsible for a large placenta or hyper-placentation (like multiple pregnancy, hydrops fetalis, polyhydramnios or hydatidiform mole)
Consult a gynaecologist early to be guided for optimal pregnancy care to prevent a high-risk pregnancy.