This is a disease that affects pregnant women. It usually affects women who are five months pregnant or more. A woman can even develop Pre-eclampsia even after delivery of the baby.
A pregnant woman with Pre-eclampsia may feel well the disease is only found when she attends Antenatal care and her blood pressure and urine are measured the blood pressure is high that is 140/90mm Hg or greater and there is high amount of proteins in the urine that is recordered as ++ or +++.
Other pregnant women with the disease develop one or more of the following signs and symptoms:
Headache that persists throughout the day and is not made better by Paracetamol.
Unclear vision.
Desire to vomit that doesn’t go away.
Pain in the right side of the stomach.
Lack of energy to do daily chores.
Sudden increase in the swelling of the feet and hands.
Untreated, Pre- Eclampsia can lead to fitting, damage to the mother’s kidney, damage to the mother’s liver and clotting of blood. It leads to malformation in the baby’s heart and kidneys. Death of both mother and baby is the worst of it.
All the above can easily prevented by early detection and quick treatment of Pre-eclampsia. Attending Antenatal care as told by your midwife can lead to early detection of Pre -eclampsia. Missing antenatal care visit can lead to late detection of Pre-Eclampsia. See a medical professional if you experience one or more of the above mentioned symptoms of Pre-eclampsia.
Treatment is available for Pre-eclampsia. The treatment may involve drugs like Labetalol, hospital admission and delivery by Caesar. The right treatment will be determined by the health professional.75% of women in urban Uganda whose pre-eclampsia is detected early and receive quick treatment survive.
The causes of pre-eclampsia are not fully understood but there are measures that can be taken to try to reduce the risks of developing it. Most important is early detection. The preventative treatment is only for pregnant women with high chances of developing pre-eclampsia. Obesity, having Diabetes Mellitus, having High Blood Pressure, being 35 years or older, being pregnant with twins all increase the chances of pre-eclampsia.
All in all, the early detection, quick treatment and prevention is dependant on the relationship between the pregnant woman and her healthcare provider. A relationship that is open, trusting, has good communication is essential in not only managing Pre-eclampsia but reaching the objective of healthy mother and baby.
Contact Clinison Medical Centre if you would like to schedule an appointment or know more about Pre -eclampsia.
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