High Blood Pressure and Pregnancy - Hypertension and Pregnancy

The cause of hypertension continue to give gray areas even as more research is being done on a yearly basis on the subject. Hypertension and pregnancy is a cause for concern amongst pregnant women and hypertensive women planning on getting pregnant.

High blood pressure and pregnancy is not necessarily a dangerous combination should the right steps and precautions be taken and respected. The following is a list of risk factors associated with high blood pressure.

Pregnancy and High Blood Pressure Risks

• Premature Delivery
• Placenta Abruption
• Decreased blood flow to the placenta
• Higher risk for future cardiovascular disease
• Low birth weight
• Damage to mother's kidneys

Some women develop high blood pressure in pregnancy when they previously had no history of high blood pressure. This type of high blood pressure is known as gestational hypertension. In the worst case situation a pregnant woman can develop preeclampsia. This typically shows up in the 20th week of pregnancy. To establish the presence of the condition in mothers, doctors take blood pressure readings as well as test urine for protein which is a sign of damaged kidneys.

High blood pressure and pregnancy symptoms

The following is a list of symptoms that occur in women with high blood pressure and who are pregnant. This is a list of commonly observed symptoms of hypertension in pregnant women and the full list does not necessarily present in a single individual.

• Protein in urine
• Seizures
• Persistent headaches
• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light
• Abdominal pain
• Sudden weight gain

There are specific precautions that women planning to fall pregnant can take to preempt the effects of hypertension and pregnancy. Prior to falling pregnant women with high blood pressure should;

• Implement lifestyle changes that deliberately reduce high blood pressure such as following a hypertension diet, exercising, losing weight and avoiding alcohol and tobacco. Keeping track of own blood pressure using blood pressure equipment such as the Omron, Lifesource, Relion, Wristech and Samsung blood pressure monitors is also recommended.
• Seek counseling from medical professionals or your physician to understand ways in which high blood pressure may affect your baby and yourself during pregnancy.

High blood pressure and pregnancy medication

Hypertension specialists note that in dealing with hypertension and pregnancy, ACEIs and Angiotension II Receptor Antagonists should be avoided during pregnancy. Unfortunately, preeclampsia and gestational hypertension can not be prevented. In some cases blood pressure may continue to raise regardless of hypertension treatment with high blood pressure medications. It is also important to be aware of the various hypertension medication side effects as you consider which medications to use during pregnancy.

Usually in such cases the solution would involve early doctor induced delivery to prevent complications. These complications can occur in the form of stroke, liver damage and seizures.