Pre-eclampsia 

Overview

Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy. With preeclampsia, you might have high blood pressure, high levels of protein in urine that indicate kidney damage (proteinuria), or other signs of organ damage. Preeclampsia usually begins after 20 weeks of pregnancy in women whose blood pressure had previously been in the standard range.

Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious — even fatal — complications for both the mother and baby.

Early delivery of the baby is often recommended. The timing of delivery depends on how severe the preeclampsia is and how many weeks pregnant you are. Before delivery, preeclampsia treatment includes careful monitoring and medications to lower blood pressure and manage complications.

Preeclampsia may develop after delivery of a baby, a condition known as postpartum preeclampsia.

Symptoms

The defining feature of preeclampsia is high blood pressure, proteinuria, or other signs of damage to the kidneys or other organs. You may have no noticeable symptoms. The first signs of preeclampsia are often detected during routine prenatal visits with a health care provider.

Along with high blood pressure, preeclampsia signs and symptoms may include:

• Excess protein in urine (proteinuria) or other signs of kidney problems

• Decreased levels of platelets in blood (thrombocytopenia)

• Increased liver enzymes that indicate liver problems

• Severe headaches

• Changes in vision, including temporary loss of vision, blurred vision or light sensitivity

• Shortness of breath, caused by fluid in the lungs

• Pain in the upper belly, usually under the ribs on the right side

• Nausea or vomiting

• Weight gain and swelling (edema) are typical during healthy pregnancies. However, sudden weight gain or a sudden appearance of edema — particularly in your face and hands — may be a sign of preeclampsia.

When to see a doctor

Make sure you attend your prenatal visits so that your health care provider can monitor your blood pressure. Contact your provider immediately or go to an emergency room if you have severe headaches, blurred vision or other visual disturbances, severe belly pain, or severe shortness of breath.

Because headaches, nausea, and aches and pains are common pregnancy complaints, it's difficult to know when new symptoms are simply part of being pregnant and when they may indicate a serious problem — especially if it's your first pregnancy. If you're concerned about your symptoms, contact your doctor.

Did you know?

Studies have shown that men who fathered one preeclamptic pregnancy are nearly twice as likely to father a preeclamptic pregnancy with a different woman1. This suggests a role of paternal genes in the increased risk of preeclampsia through the fetal genome2. Different lines of evidence have demonstrated the role of the father in the onset of preeclampsia, and the existence of a “paternal antigen” has been proposed3 

Source:  MayoClinic