There are not that many people who have never heard of preeclampsia. Almost every woman who ever considered getting pregnant made sure that she learns as much as she can about the condition. Those who do not know what preeclampsia is should be aware that it is a quite serious complication which occurs during the pregnancy. In most cases the condition is connected with either the development of high blood pressure or protein in the urine. In some cases both of these complications occur.
Preeclampsia affects around 5% of pregnancies
Just like any other condition, it is far better if the signs of it are noticed as soon as it occurs. When preeclampsia is considered, it is important to know that a woman may experience some other symptoms like blurred vision, headaches, swelling which is not considered to be normal and a severe weight gain. Apart from preeclampsia, this complication of pregnancy is also known as toxemia. According to the data, preeclampsia is not that common but it still occurs and the experts say that at least 5 and no more than 7% of all pregnancies are complicated by toxemia. The data proves that this complication is most likely to occur during the first pregnancy of the woman but that is not always the case. In some cases, preeclampsia can also occur for the first time during a pregnancy which is not preexisting. Women should not be worried too much about developing eclampsia or seizures because these problems are seen in less than 1% of all preeclampsia cases. High blood pressure is one of the leading problems for pregnant women and according to data up to 20% of all pregnancies do not go without any complications because of it. The main complications which occur because of high blood pressure are preeclampsia and eclampsia. These two complications are the causes of 20% of all deaths in pregnant women. When the actual cause of preeclampsia is considered, it is important to know that the experts are still unsure of what it is. This is the main reason there are no tests which will predict when this complication may occur. Not knowing the actual cause of toxemia makes it impossible for the condition to be prevented. Apart from being seen mainly during the first pregnancy, there are some other cases in which preeclampsia is seen. For instance, a woman who is carrying twins or is having multiple pregnancies may end up suffering from preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is also a possibility in women who are older than 35 years of age, had problems with high blood pressure before the pregnancy, are diagnosed with diabetes or some other medical problems. An interesting thing is that African American women are more prone to developing preeclampsia than other women. In some cases preeclampsia is genetic. The reason why that is so, is still unknown. How to treat preeclampsia successfully
First of all, women need to know that there is no actual cure for the condition known as preeclampsia. The experts agree that the only cure is to deliver the baby but that may not be as easy as it sounds. The treatment of preeclampsia is not always the same and there are several factors which are important like the severity of the condition, the signs which the woman is having and how far has the pregnancy gone. It is a lot better if the woman is far off in the pregnancy because then there are more chances that the cervix will be ready for the delivery. Due to that fact, the introduction of labor will be a successful one. It is not uncommon for certain medications to be given to women in order for the labor to be induced. Even though induction is possible in early pregnancy, the chances of it being successful are not that great. However, if that is the case, women should not worry too much because the delivery can be a successful one when a cesarean delivery is had. In some cases when the complication is a really severe one the cesarean delivery is being performed at once. This is also the case when the baby is showing signs of compromise. The most common sign is a decreased heart rate. There are also some cases when preeclampsia is a severe one and the baby is far from being ready for delivery. If that is the case, the woman will be given a certain medications named betamethasone which will play a significant role in aiding the baby’s lungs to mature properly. In cases when preeclampsia is a serious one but there is no need for an emergency deliver, the women will be placed in a hospital for bed rest and closer observation of both her and the unborn child. If preeclampsia is not a severe one and the woman is at the beginning of the third trimester, she will be sent home for bed rest. Women must not forget that changes in both her and the baby may happen real quickly due to preeclampsia. If that happens, women need to see a doctor as soon as possible.
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