What’s High Blood Pressure When Pregnant Symptoms Risks Causes Diet Treatment

High blood pressure or hypertension occurs when a person’s blood pressure is more than or equal to 180/30 mm Hg. For a healthy person high blood pressure might not be an issue but for pregnant women, high blood pressure is a serious health concern.

Well, high blood pressure is not always a serious health condition during pregnancy but at times it can cause harm to both the mother and developing baby. Center for disease control and prevention stated that around six to eight percent pregnant women who are between the ages of 20 to 40 have the issue of high blood pressure.

Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

The Symptoms of high blood pressure may vary from person to person depending upon previous health history, age of the women and the stage of pregnancy however there are certain symptoms that are common.

The blood pressure of the pregnant women is recorded equal to or greater than 180/30 mm Hg. The pregnant women are advised to constantly measure their blood pressure and keep track of it.

The second symptom of high blood pressure in pregnancy is excessive amount of protein in the urine also called as proteinuria. According to a research made by national institute of health, the amount of protein present in the urine must be 188mg/ 24 hours. Pregnant women are advised to get themselves tested on regular basis.

Swelling of feet and hands is another side of high blood pressure during pregnancy however swelling does not necessarily indicate high blood pressure. There were some cases in which the women had swelling of their feet but did not have high blood pressure. So, if you feel unusual swelling you must not panic about it you may consult your doctor and he’ll assist you the best.

If you are facing unusual headache that has sustained for a longer period of time, it might also be a sign that you are facing high blood pressure issue.

During the high blood pressure problem, a woman is expected to face vision problems such as blurred vision.  She might also have breathing problem and pain in her upper abdomen.

If you face any of these signs during pregnancy, it might be a sign that you the problem of high blood pressure. There’s nothing to worry about, you just have to consult a doctor and take the precautionary measures stated in the upcoming parts of the article.

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Causes Of High Blood Pressure In Pregnancy

 High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy caused by so many thing. The Main ones we included in our list.

1.     Lifestyle

We live in a world where everyone has different lifestyles. According to the doctors, there are two categories of lifestyles; some of the lifestyles are called healthy lifestyles while others are called unhealthy. The high blood pressure mainly depends upon the lifestyle of the women. If she lives a healthy life, there are fewer chances that she’ll face high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Physical activity is an important element for a healthy body but unfortunately the women in their pregnancies tend to lack physical activity which results in high blood pressure. A pregnant women needs to stay active and perform healthy activities such regular walking and healthy diet.

Moreover the women must not be overweight. The most prominent reason of high blood pressure during pregnancy is being overweight. According to an observation, the women who were obese had greater tendencies of high blood pressure.

Smoking and drinking alcohol can be another reason for high blood pressure. Women with these habits are advised to either give up on their habit during their pregnancy or reduce the consumption.

2.     Type of pregnancy

 A woman who has become pregnant for the first time is more likely to have high blood pressure. Fortunately, there are less chances of high blood pressure in subsequent pregnancies.

Carrying more than one baby can also result in high blood pressure because the body of the woman is striving to nourish more than one baby.

According to American society for reproductive medicine, the use of assistive technologies such as IVF during the conception process increases the chances of high blood pressure.

3.     Age of women

As we get older, the organs in our body get weak and do not respond in the same way as they used to do when we were in our twenty’s. Similarly the age of women is also a contributing factor towards high blood pressure. As the women exceeds the age of thirty five, the chances of her facing high blood pressure during pregnancy also increase.

A female might also have a family history of hypertension or high blood. Such women have more chances of having high blood pressure during their pregnancies. Having diabetes or an autoimmune disease can also result in high blood pressure during pregnancy.

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High Blood Pressure In Early Pregnancy

In this section we are going to discuss the effect of high blood pressure in the early stage of the pregnancy.

The women who face the issue of high blood pressure during their pregnancy are expected to have child with birth defects. Recent researches have been made on the issue of high blood pressure during the early stages of pregnancy.

There were two different schools of thoughts on this issue. One argued that the actual reason of the birth defect is hypertension or high blood pressure while the other argued that the anti hypertensive drugs were the main reason of birth defects.

The researchers urged the doctors to have more focus on hypertension rather than the anti hypertensive drugs. The main aim of the doctor must be to control the high blood pressure which if controlled can decrease the risk of defects.

High Blood Pressure In Later Stages Of Pregnancy

The later part of the pregnancy begins in 28^th week of the pregnancy and continues till birth of the baby. This stage can be most difficult for the mother. There can be number of ways in which a women or her baby can get effects if she has high blood pressure. In this section we are going to discuss those effects.

High blood pressure in the later stages of the pregnancy will have effect on mother as well as the baby. High blood pressure may result in damage of other organs such as kidney, liver, blood and brain. At this stage the gynecologists must cure the hypertension or high blood pressure on emergency bases otherwise it can cause fatal complications for the mother and baby which includes development of seizures.

Risks For High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

The high blood pressure can affect both the mother and child. High blood pressure increases the risk of poor birth outcomes such as preterm delivery, smaller than average size of the baby and death of the infant.

High blood pressure in pregnancy can also affect the blood vessels of the mother. Therefore the baby will not get the sufficient amount of nutrients needed as a result of which the baby will have lower birth weight.

The hypertension or high blood pressure will increase the chances of complications for the baby. It can affect the proper organ development of the baby. For example, if the lungs of the infant are not developed properly, he/she will have breathing problem after birth.

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How To Treat High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

If you or one you loved one is facing high blood pressure during pregnancy, there is nothing to worry about. There are number of ways in which high blood pressure can be controlled. In this section we are going to discuss them.

The women who have high blood pressure during pregnancy must take hypertensive in order to reduce the blood pressure. However some hypertensives are not suitable for pregnant women. The ideal option is to consult a doctor who may recommend different medication.

Health care providers may recommend anti convulsive medications such as magnesium sulfate.

In some cases the doctors may recommend the delivery of the baby for treatment, the timing of delivery depends upon how severe the mother’s condition is.

The best way to treat the high blood pressure in pregnancy is to consult the healthcare provider who can suggest you ways to control the blood pressure.

How To Lower High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

Medication is one way to treat high blood pressure during pregnancy but there are other natural ways too. These natural ways do not have reciprocal effects on the health of baby and the mother. In this section we are going to discuss five natural ways through which you can control the high blood pressure.

Reduce the amount of salt

Although your body requires certain amount of sodium chloride but taking it too much can result in hypertension. So if you are facing the problem of high blood pressure during pregnancy, you are advised to reduce the amount of salt intake. You can replace the salt with other herbs like Lemmon pepper or cumin fresh herbs. Moreover you are advised to avoid the processed foot as it contains high amount of salt.

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Eat a healthy and potassium rich foods

There are numbers of potassium rich foods which can help you lower high blood pressure. These foods are enlisted below.

• Sweet potatoes
• Kidney beans
• Tomatoes
• Raisins
• Prunes
• Whole grains
• Legumes
• Fruits

Distress

Stress can cause blood pressure to shoot up. So when pregnant you have to be more careful about the stress and refrain from activities that can cause anxiety and depression. If you or one of your loved one is pregnant you are advised to take part in activities that helps you in distressing. There are number of activities that you can do to distress which include medication, yoga or breathing activities. All these will help you in distressing and manage the labor pain.

Get moving

Women who are sedentary during pregnancy are expecting to have high blood pressure during pregnancy. A pregnant woman must take part in physical activities for thirty minutes each day. If you are not one of those who exercise regularly you are advised to take part in light activities such as walking and swimming. This will not only improve the blood circulation in your body, relieve stress, decrease the blood pressure but will also have a positive and healthy impact on your baby.

No Smoking or alcohol

Avoid smoking and alcohol during your pregnancy. If you smoke or drink during your pregnancy you are expected to harm yourself and the baby therefore you should avoid consuming these for the safety of yourself and the baby. Consumption of cigarettes and alcohol result in high blood pressure so you must take steps to quit them. Consult your doctor for this, he’ll provide you a road map to quit them.

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How to Prevent High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

Not all cases of hypertension are in control of a person. For example if a person has a family history of high blood pressure during pregnancy, she’ll have to face it. Still there are certain measures which you can take to avoid hypertension.

The most important step is to maintain a simple lifestyle such as getting more physical activity and eat healthy and balance diet. The pregnant women are advised to stay hydrated, avoid excessive salt intake and go for regular parental checkups. The healthcare provider will guide you about the medication and food intake, all you have to do is to stick to the instructions provided by the doctors and you can avoid high blood pressure.

It is important to note that these steps are needed to be taken before pregnant women starts facing the problem of high blood pressure. A pregnant woman is advised to follow these preventive measures from the very beginning of her pregnancy.

High Blood Pressure Diet During Pregnancy

Do you have high blood pressure during pregnancy and want to lower it? Apart from the medications, there are number of food which can help you reduce the blood pressure. initially we’ll discuss the food items that you must consume in order to lower the blood pressure and in the later part we are going to suggest an overall diet plan for you.

Food items with source of Fatty acids

A woman facing the problem of high blood pressure during pregnancy is advised to take foods that rich in fatty acids. The excessive intake of fatty acid helps in reducing the blood pressure.

 The list of food items that are rich in fatty acid is given below:

• Avocado
• China seeds
• Hazelnuts
• Walnuts
• Brazil nuts
• Pumpkin nuts

Some oils that contain fatty acid

• Coconut oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Olive oil

Fish can also be a great source of fatty acid. While consuming the foods hat are in rich fatty acids, do not forget to avoid the substances with excessive amount of salt.

Foods items rich in calcium and magnesium

Calcium and magnesium help in preventing the high blood pressure during pregnancy therefore you must increase the intake of food items that are rich in calcium and magnesium.

A list of food items that are rich in calcium and magnesium is given below:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Collard greens

You can also include other vegetables like:

• Tomatoes
• Carrot
• Green beans
• Peas
• Onion
• Sweet potato
• Asparagus
• Celery
• Squash
• Garlic

Different varieties of fruits should also be eaten:

• Pears
• Apricots
• Pineapple
• Strawberries
• Grapefruit
• Apples
• Plums
• Pomegranate

Vitamin D supplement

The high blood pressure during pregnancy is caused by the deficiency of vitamin D in the body of women therefore she should increase the consumption of food items that contain excessive amount of Vitamin D. however food items cannot provide the amount of Vitamin D required during pregnancy, therefore a women is advised to take supplements of vitamin after consulting the healthcare provider.

The list of food items rich in vitamin is provided below:

• Cheese
• Egg yolks
• Beef Liver
• Mackerel, tuna and salmon
• Others foods that are fortified Vitamin D such as orange juice, soy milk and some dairy products and cereals

Apart from these food items, sunshine is also a great source of vitamin; therefore you must spend some time outside to consume the vitamin D emitted by the sun.

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Whole grains

If you are pregnant and you face the issue of high blood pressure you must take three to four portions of whole grains each day. The whole grains are rich in soluble fiber therefore they lower the blood pressure.

Some of the whole grains you can are:

• Oats
• Millet
• Whole wheat flour
• Brown rice
• Buckwheat
• Rye
• Quinoa

Overall diet Plan for you

• Eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid the food items that are rich in fat and calories.
• Eat low fat diet and do not increase the number of calories you eat.
• Avoid consuming the fried food and drinks that are rich sugar.
• Eat fiber rich foods such as oats, beans, whole grains and seeds
• Eat protein every day and try to consume leash meat
• Try not to skip breakfast
• Your meals should be based on starchy foods such as potatoes, bread rice and pasta.
• Watch the amount of food you consume and have a balance on it. “Do not eat for two”

Medication for high blood pressure during pregnancy

Anti-hypertensive drugs are used for curing the high blood pressure during pregnancy. The goal of using these drugs is to lower the blood pressure whilst ensuring the safety of mother and child. This can be a complicated thing because a sudden drop in blood pressure might result in dizziness and fata de stress.

According to a published research, there is no certain anti-hypertensive drug which can be stated as the cure for high blood pressure during pregnancy. Each case has different complication therefore different medication is being provided. By far the most efficient medicines for high blood pressure during pregnancy are methyldopa and labetalol. Both these medicines do not only lower the blood pressure but also ensure the safety of the mother and child.

It is important to note that the medicine which we consume in our daily routine for lowering the blood pressure must not be consumed by a pregnant woman. These medicines will pass through bloodstream and will harm the health of developing baby.

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Home remedies for curing high blood pressure during pregnancy

In this section you’ll get home remedies for curing blood pressure at home.

• Exercise more: Exercising regularly for thirty minutes will increase the blood circulation in your body and will result in stronger immune system. The pregnant women must not take part in heavy exercises rather she should do some light exercises.
• Eat a banana: Pregnant women who are facing the issue of high blood pressure should eat a banana every day. Banana Is rich in potassium therefore it will help in lowering blood pressure.
• Apple cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is one of the healthiest ingredients and it has been proven to be very effective in balancing the cholesterol level.
• Limit the consumption of Alcohol and tobacco
• Limit the usage of caffeine
• Avoid Junk food

Rest for high blood pressure during pregnancy

 The women who face high blood pressure are often advised by the doctors to take rest. There are two different opinions on this issue. Some of the doctors believe that having bed rest during pregnancy might lower the blood pressure. These doctors advise the patients to either rest at home or at hospital. While some doctors believe that having bed rest will have adverse effects for the women which will ultimately harm her health. For example, taking too much rest without doing exercise will increase the weight of the women which will result in increased high blood pressure.

If you or one your loved one is pregnant you are advised to maintain a balance between rest, exercise and a healthy diet. Marinating proper balance of these will help you control the blood pressure during pregnancy.

Don’t stress too much if you face the issue of high blood pressure because it is a common thing in pregnancy. All you need to do is take measures which can help you control it.

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References:

Medical News Today

Webmd