#长沙头条 ##湖南省第二人民医院#
"Doctor, why is my blood pressure so high during pregnancy?"
"You have gestational hypertension. ”
"What is gestational hypertension?"
I believe that many mothers will have the same questions. So, what exactly is gestational hypertension?
Du Yixin, director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Second People's Hospital of Hunan Province (Hunan Brain Hospital), introduced: Gestational hypertension, referred to as pregnancy-induced hypertension, the full name of gestational hypertension syndrome, is a unique blood pressure elevated syndrome in women during pregnancy.
Depending on the severity of the condition, pregnancy-induced hypertension can be divided into various types, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, chronic hypertension with preeclampsia, and chronic hypertension.
Now that we understand the concept, what are the harms of pregnancy-induced hypertension? Let's take a look at its specific symptoms:
1. What are the harms of pregnancy-induced hypertension?
1. Harm to pregnant women:
(1) Damage to all organs of the body
Pregnancy-induced hypertension may lead to impairment of the function of various organs throughout the body, such as insufficient blood supply to the coronary arteries of the heart, resulting in myocardial ischemia, edema, pitting hemorrhage and necrosis, and in severe cases, left-sided heart failure.
(2) Convulsions and coma
In severe cases, pregnant women may experience symptoms such as convulsions, coma, and even aspiration pneumonia caused by secretions being inhaled into the lungs.
(3) Intracerebral hemorrhage
Elevated blood pressure is one of the most common causes of death from pregnancy-induced hypertension, which can easily cause intracerebral hemorrhage.
2. Harm to the fetus:
(1) Developmental delay
Pregnancy-induced hypertension may cause fetal growth retardation and even intrauterine distress.
(2) Premature birth
Pregnancy-induced hypertension can lead to premature birth in pregnant women.
(3) Fetal death
In severe cases, pregnancy-induced hypertension can lead to fetal death.
2. Clinical manifestations
1. Increased blood pressure
This is the most obvious symptom of pregnancy-induced hypertension, and the blood pressure of pregnant women will be significantly higher than the normal range.
2. Edema
Gestational hypertension can cause edema in the pregnant woman's body, especially in the lower extremities.
3. Proteinuria
Pregnant women may have too much protein in their urine.
4. Dizziness and headache
Some pregnant women may experience dizziness or headaches, which may be due to increased blood pressure.
5. Blurred vision
Pregnancy-induced hypertension may cause spasm of retinal arterioles, ischemia, and high levels of edema, as well as dizziness, blurred vision, and in severe cases, temporary blindness.
3. How should we take care of pregnancy-induced hypertension?
1. Dietary adjustment
Pregnant women should eat a light diet, reduce the intake of salt and high-fat foods, and eat more foods rich in protein, vitamins, iron, calcium and zinc and other trace elements. This helps control blood pressure while providing the nutrients your baby needs.
2. Monitor blood pressure
Monitor blood pressure once a day in the morning and evening, make a record, pay attention to observe whether there are uncomfortable symptoms such as edema and headache, and also need to conduct regular blood tests, urine tests and other examinations, and seek medical attention as soon as possible if there is any abnormality.
The specific measurement method is as follows:
(1) Before measuring, you need to rest quietly in a chair with a backrest for at least five minutes.
(2) When measuring, the position of the elbow should be at the same level as the heart, and the tightness of the cuff should be able to insert 1~2 fingers.
(3) After measurement, if the pregnant mother finds that the blood pressure is high, it needs to be measured four hours apart, and it should be measured four hours after bed rest.
3. Rest and sleep
Getting enough sleep and rest is important for people with pregnancy-induced hypertension. Pregnant women should avoid staying up late and overwork, and it is recommended to take the left decubitus position to rest to reduce the pressure of the uterus on the inferior vena cava, increase the amount of blood returning to the heart, and improve placental circulation.
4. Regular prenatal examination
Pregnant women should have prenatal check-ups on time and pay close attention to changes in blood pressure, proteinuria and other indicators. Hospitalization is recommended for pregnant women with moderate to severe disease to allow for better monitoring.
5. Medication
Under the guidance of a doctor, pregnant women may need to take antihypertensive medications to control their blood pressure. At the same time, the adverse reactions of the drug should be closely observed, and the treatment regimen should be adjusted in time.
6. Observation of the condition
Pregnant women should closely monitor their symptoms, such as headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, etc., and report them to their doctor in time.
4. How to prevent pregnancy-induced hypertension?
1. The body mass index should be controlled between 18~24 before pregnancy, if the body mass index is too high before pregnancy, then the probability of pregnancy-induced hypertension will increase.
2. It is necessary to increase weight reasonably during pregnancy, and if the weight gain is too high during pregnancy, it is easy to cause pregnancy-induced hypertension.
3. Women should make corresponding pre-pregnancy preparations, especially it is recommended to take folic acid orally throughout pregnancy, which can prevent pregnancy-induced hypertension to a certain extent.
4. For women who have a history of pregnancy-induced hypertension in previous pregnancies, they should take prophylactic oral low-dose aspirin (according to the doctor's instructions) after 12 weeks of pregnancy when they become pregnant again.
Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zeng Xin, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hunan Provincial Second People's Hospital (Hunan Provincial Brain Hospital).
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(Edited YT.) Image source network, invaded and deleted)