Pregnancy with high blood pressure.
Introduction.
One is said to have high blood pressure or hypertension when she or he have a blood pressure higher than 140/90 mm Hg. This reading is very serious to women who are pregnant. Many women nowadays are having blood pressure when they are pregnant and this is not dangerous unless it causes critical complication to the mother and to the unborn baby.
How you can track the level of blood pressure during pregnancy.
The reading of a blood pressure is in form of a fraction that simplifies systolic blood pressure over diastolic blood pressure respectively. The measurement of the pressure of the heart`s arteries is the systolic pressure which is the top number and it is recorded when the heart is beating or squeezing blood forward through your body. The diastolic pressure represents the lower number which is the measurement of the force of the blood pressure in your heart when the heart is at rest.
The following are the tips that can be used to be able to track your blood pressure during pregnancy:
Make sure you visit a grocery store or a pharmacy that has a machine that takes blood pressure. Choose a machine that is of quality to ensure that proper measurements are taken.
To ensure that you are accurate when measuring the level of your blood pressure, take the reading every day at the same time. Make sure as you take this measurement you are seated with your legs uncrossed and make use of taking these readings from the same arm each day.
Visit a pharmacy or any online medical good store to purchase a blood pressure monitor. This is a device that is used to take a measurement of blood pressure by putting it on your wrist or on the upper arm. Once you have recorded your readings you can take these readings to your doctor`s office and compare the readings on the monitor to those from your doctor in order to ensure that your monitor is accurate.
In case of any repetition of high blood pressure readings that is four hours apart, notify your doctor immediately in order for the proper medication to be taken. Also when you notice some symptoms of high blood pressure let your doctor know in order to take proper attention to you.
How to track high blood pressure during pregnancy.
When you tack a level of blood pressure that is greater than 140/90 mm Hg or that is 15 degrees higher than the number that was recorded before pregnancy, it may be considered as having high blood pressure during pregnancy.
During the fifth week of pregnancy a woman blood pressure may start decreasing because of the hormones that are stimulating blood vessels in a wider way and as a result of this, the resistance of blood flow will not be considered higher.
How to track low blood pressure during pregnancy.
Some symptoms of a headache, nausea, dizziness, feeling faint, cold and clammy skin can help to know that the level of blood pressure is low.
Factors which are a risk to have during pregnancy.
When you have high blood pressure there are certain factors which are a risk to have them. These factors may include;
High blood pressure during your first pregnancy. This mostly occurs in women who it is their first time to be pregnant and the chances of this condition are very low in subsequent pregnancies with the same partner.
The choice of having unhealthy lifestyle may lead to high blood pressure during pregnancy. When you are overweight, obese and you are not staying in an active way you may have high-risk factors for having high blood pressure.
Women who have high blood pressure before pregnancy are mostly at greater risk of having related complication during pregnancy than those who never have high blood pressure before pregnancy.
During conception process using assistive technology can increase the chances of having high blood pressure during pregnancy. This is according to American Society for Reproductive medicine which has revealed that a pregnant woman can have high blood pressure when she uses assistive technology.
Complications of high blood pressure during pregnancy
There are various complications that develop in a woman`s body if the blood pressure remains high after20 weeks of pregnancy. These complications include;
Hemolysis elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count[HELLP] syndrome
This complication is very sensitive and life-threatening and its symptoms include vomiting, nausea, upper abdominal pain, and headache. This syndrome is severe and it damages the organ system which is very vital to life. If these symptoms are noted in your body emergency medical attention care should be aimed in order to reduce the level of blood pressure for the health of the mother and that of the unborn baby.
Low birth weight.
According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, high blood pressure during pregnancy can also have effect complications on baby`s growth rate resulting in low birth weight.
Preeclampsia.
This condition is a very serious complication to a woman who is pregnant because it can cause damaging to your organs system including the brain and kidneys. Preeclampsia is also known as toxemia or pregnancy-induced high blood pressure and when it combines with seizures it produces eclampsia which is more fatal to the health of woman`s life and that of the baby.
In case you notice any symptoms during your parental care such as protein in a urine sample, abnormal swelling in hands and persistent headaches you should make several appointments of visiting the doctor regularly in order to be addressed in the right way.
Preterm delivery.
This is a delivery that is prior to 38 weeks of pregnancy.
Placental abruption.
This is a medical attention which is emergency when the placenta attaches to the uterus prematurely and proper attention should be taken to avoid losing the life of the woman`s life and that of the unborn baby. Preeclampsia increases the risk of this condition because the placenta separates from the inner wall of your uterus before delivery which causes severe heavy bleeding which can be life-threatening to you and your baby.
Future cardiovascular disease.
Having preeclampsia can increase the risk of having heart and blood vessel disease in future. If you have had preeclampsia more than once or premature birth due to having high blood pressure during your pregnancy, the risk of having cardiovascular disease in future is high.
The decrease in the blood flow to the placenta.
Your baby might receive less oxygen and little nutrition if the placenta does not get enough blood. Having less blood in the placenta can lead to intrauterine growth restriction or premature birth and this premature birth can lead to other problems like difficulty in breathing or increased risk of infection and other complication to the baby.
How to know you have high blood pressure during pregnancy.
Monitoring the level of your blood pressure during pregnancy is an important parental care. In case of any chronic hypertension, your doctor or health care provider will consider the following measurements to know whether your blood pressure is high.
Elevated blood pressure.
This is a systolic pressure that ranges from 120 to 129 mm Hg and a diastolic pressure that is below 80 mm Hg. This measurement will help your doctor to know when the elevated blood pressure tends to get worse over time and proper steps should be taken to control blood pressure.
Stage 1 hypertension
This is a systolic pressure that ranges from 130 mm Hg to 139 mm Hg or a diastolic pressure that ranges from 80-89 mm Hg.
Stage 2 hypertension.
This is the most severe hypertension and it ranges from a systolic pressure of 140 mm Hg or a diastolic pressure of 90 mm Hg.
Types of blood pressure during pregnancy.
According to certain conditions that are related to blood pressure pregnancy there are various types of blood pressure and they include;
Gestational hypertension.
This develops after the 20th week of pregnancy and it usually resolves around delivery and most common complication is induced labor. If gestational hypertension is diagnosed before 30 weeks, the chances of this pregnancy progressing to preeclampsia are very high.
Chronic hypertension.
Sometimes a woman may be having pre-existing high blood pressure before she gets pregnant and this hypertension is usually treated with blood pressure medication. Any high blood pressure that occurs before 20 weeks is also referred to doctors as chronic hypertension.
Chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia.
Chronic blood pressure with superimposed preeclampsia is a variation that occurs in a woman when she has high blood before she becomes pregnant. The symptom of this variation is that the woman experiences protein in her urine and other complications as her pregnancy progresses.
Reasons why blood pressure changes during pregnancy.
The following are the reasons that may change the level of the blood pressure as a woman progresses in her pregnancy.
Increase in the amount of vasopressin that is a hormone released by kidneys and it leads increases the amount of water retention.
The left side of the heart or the left ventricle becomes thicker and larger. These left ventricles perform a great task of pumping the blood and this blood allows the heart to work harder in order to support the increased blood volume.
After the baby is delivered, in most cases the level of the blood pressure subsidizes. If your level of blood pressure remains elevated after pregnancy your doctor may prescribe you some medication that will help to return the level of blood pressure to normal.
According to the journal circulation, there will be an increase in the amount of blood in a woman`s body. During pregnancy, the increase will be of about 45% and this is the extra amount of blood that the heart must pump throughout the body.
How to prevent high blood pressure during pregnancy
History of high blood pressure which is caused by common risk factors such as obesity can be minimized through proper diet and exercises.
Avoid being obese.
It is always recommended that pregnant women should consult their doctors in order to identify the weight that should be gained during pregnancy which is always inevitable. By consulting their doctors, they will be able to know the amount that is appropriate to their health and also to the developing baby. This will also prevent these pregnant women getting high blood pressure as a result of obesity.
Proper diet guidelines.
Proper diet guidelines to pregnant women vary from one woman to another depending on the taste that she likes. Always consult a nutritionist when creating a nutrition plan in order to ensure you are keeping specific height and weight.
Avoid stress.
During pregnancy, there are certain hormones that cause the hormones to shift as the psychological and physical body changes. If you are not careful about these hormones they can bring stress which can make your blood pressure to rise in a harder way to manage your hypertension. Always try as much as possible to reduce this stress by using some techniques such as yoga and meditation.
Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
It is always important to take steps that will lessen your risk of high blood pressure by steering clear from smoking and drinking alcohol because these two are known to raise the level of blood pressure, especially to pregnant women.
Conclusion.
High blood pressure during pregnancy doesn`t usually lead to serious problems unless if it is untreated which can be life-threatening both for the mother and the baby. However, hypertensive disorders which result from high blood pressure is the second leading causes of many maternal deaths especially in America during pregnancy.
Always plan to stay on top of your parental care by talking to your doctor about your concern in order to have the best healthiest pregnancy outcome possible. Before you get pregnant take time to understand the risk factors and possible causes of having high blood pressure and take preventive measures to keep your blood pressure down during pregnancy.
