Preeclampsia: Know Your Risk

photo of a woman who seems to be in distress because of PCOS symptoms and fibroids

Preeclampsia is a serious blood pressure disorder that can happen during pregnancy or soon after childbirth. It is a leading cause of death worldwide for women, fetuses, and newborns. You can develop preeclampsia without even realizing it, so it’s important to learn the symptoms.

Warning Signs of Preeclampsia

When you have symptoms, they may include:

However, you may not have symptoms that you can recognize. That’s why your prenatal doctor visits are so important. They give your doctor the opportunity to look for symptoms such as high blood pressure that you may not be aware you had.

Risk Factors

Anyone can develop preeclampsia. Many women who get preeclampsia are otherwise healthy and do not have clear risk factors. But some women may have a higher risk than others.

Risk factors for women at high risk include:

Risk factors for women at moderate risk include:

Your Future Health

If you are diagnosed with preeclampsia during your pregnancy, you may be more likely to develop health problems in the future. These problems may include:

You may need to see your doctor earlier or more often after childbirth so he or she can closely monitor your health. You should also tell any other care professionals you may see in the future that you had preeclampsia.

Remember, many women who get preeclampsia do not have clear risk factors. Call us right away if you develop any warning signs or have other concerns about preeclampsia.

Information source: ACOG

 

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