Preeclampsia a health issue pregnant women face
Expecting a child should be a miracle of life, but sometimes complications with pregnancy make the experience more like a nightmare. Preeclampsia is one of those complications that can make your pregnancy feel like a disaster or a nightmare instead of a blessing. Preeclampsia has been around for centuries and has caused the deaths of many mothers and babies for years. Today, we have far less death from preeclampsia, but it is still a problem.
How do you know if you have preeclampsia when you are pregnant?
Preeclampsia is characterized by changes in vision, stomach aches or pain in the right shoulder, hypertension, racing pulse, mental confusion and often results in seizures. So, if you have any of these symptoms it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor as quickly as possible.
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What is happening when you have preeclampsia?
It is actually still not for sure what causes preeclampsia, or what toxin is causing the problem, but the theory is that toxins in the placenta are released into the blood stream, causing mom to get sick. Although this is a disease that has been around for years, it is still without a cure.
So how do you get better?
Well, there is not cure for preeclampsia, and there is no medical treatment for preeclampsia. So, to date, the only way to really get rid of the disease is to deliver the baby. It then goes away on its own. Of course there are a few things that can be done to treat the symptoms of preeclampsia. For example, if the mother is having seizures, a doctor may give her magnesium through an IV, and this can stop those seizures, but does not cure the disease.
The biggest problem with preeclampsia is that if it sets in too early it can mean the baby will not survive when it is delivered. Because preeclampsia has the potential to kill the mother, doctors often have to choose to deliver the baby before it is ready in order to save the life of the mother. This can mean several months in intensive care, or it could mean the baby does not survive at all.
Because there is little doctors can do about preeclampsia, and because it is not super prevalent many will not even mention it to you in order to spare you from any undue worry. However, your doctor should be keeping a good eye on you and should be asking you if you are experiencing anything abnormal. It is important that should you have any concerns, or if you are worried that you might have some symptoms that you address it with your doctor. In addition to that you ought to strive to stay as healthy as possible. For example, make sure you eat right, and get in some exercise, but not over do it there. The healthier you live when pregnant, the better chance you and your baby have of not facing health issues when pregnant, including preeclampsia. While health issues are scary, you can be grateful that with modern technology and medical advances you and your baby have a high chance for success and life.
For more information about preeclampsia, go to www.preeclampsia.org
