Preeclampsia is a health condition that affects women who are pregnant. Although there is not a known cause of preeclampsia, there are certain factors which are believed to cause the condition. Nutrient deficiencies, a high percentage of body fat, and a lack of blood flow to the uterus are all believed to cause preeclampsia. If a woman does not receive proper treatment for preeclampsia, she can experience eclampsia, which is more severe. It can lead to seizures, comas, and may even be fatal. This is why it is so important for preeclampsia to be diagnosed as early as possible. Here are some of the different symptoms and risk factors of preeclampsia.
What are the Symptoms of Preeclampsia?
The main symptoms of preeclampsia are high blood pressure and weight gain that occurs very rapidly. Another one of the main symptoms of the condition is excessive sweating, which is due to an increase in bodily fluid that occurs with preeclampsia. Protein will also be present in urine samples when you have preeclampsia. Most women with preeclampsia also begin to notice that the amount of urine that they release is greatly reduced. Some of the other symptoms that can be related to preeclampsia include headaches, dizziness, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Keep in mind that all of these symptoms are only additional and may be related to a variety of other health conditions. The main symptoms of preeclampsia are often the biggest indicators of preeclampsia. If you experience these symptoms, it is important to visit your doctor to find out if you may have the condition.
What are the Risk Factors of Preeclampsia?
As with a variety of other health conditions, there are some people who tend to be more at risk of experiencing preeclampsia than others. Preeclampsia generally happens during a woman’s first pregnancy. While many women with preeclampsia do not become pregnant a second time, it often reoccurs. If the pregnancy occurs prior to the age of twenty or after the age of forty, the risk of preeclampsia increases. Women with preeclampsia generally have a family history of the condition. Overweight women who may have also experienced diabetes or heart disease before becoming pregnant are more likely to experience preeclampsia. Carrying multiple babies can also increase your chances of experiencing this condition. The more babies that you are carrying, the more that risk increases.
It is important to keep in mind that not every woman who experiences preeclampsia has any of the risk factors associated with the health condition. Almost everyone with preeclampsia will experience the symptoms, however. It greatly increases the overall intensity of pregnancy due to the awful side effects that you will experience. If you notice a lot of unexplained weight gain and swelling, it is important to visit your gynecologist immediately. Early diagnosis of preeclampsia is a main key to managing the pregnancy until the baby is born. Keeping the condition under control can help prevent preeclampsia from being life threatening to both you and the baby that you are carrying.
