19
May
2017
|
13:00 PM
Europe/Amsterdam
The Facts About Preeclampsia: What All Women Should Know
You’ve likely heard of preeclampsia – but do you understand what it is? This condition, which occurs only during pregnancy, impacts 5-8% of all pregnancies. It’s one of the leading causes of maternal and infant death, so knowing how to reduce your risk and recognize the signs is extremely important.
What Causes Preeclampsia?
While the exact cause of preeclampsia isn’t known for sure, there are several factors that can impact it. Most experts believe it starts in the placenta, where blood vessels don’t develop or function properly. This can be caused by an immune issue, damaged blood vessels, limited blood flow to the uterus, or genetic factors.
What are the Symptoms?
Because your body is going through so many changes during pregnancy, it’s important to know what to look for to properly identify preeclampsia sooner rather than later. In its mildest form, symptoms include:
- Water retention
- High blood pressure
- Protein in urine
- Changes in vision
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Infrequent urination
- Shortness of breath
- Pain in the upper abdomen
- Lower back pain
- Anxiety
- Frequent, easy bruising
- Having your first pregnancy
- History of preeclampsia in your family
- A multiple pregnancy
- In vitro fertilization
- Being between the ages of 20 and 40
- Previous experience with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension