Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is often called the “silent killer” because an individual can have it for years without showing any symptoms.
Unless a person has their blood pressure checked, there’s no way to know they have hypertension and the disease can progress unnoticed. Left unchecked, high blood pressure can become severe enough to cause a heart attack, stroke, or other serious health problems.
So no matter your age, it’s important to get your blood pressure checked. And if it is found to be high, take steps to manage hypertension successfully, for yourself and your family’s well-being. This is especially important if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Here’s what you need to know about managing high blood pressure during pregnancy.
Risks of Hypertension During Pregnancy
The amount of blood in a woman’s body increases during pregnancy, which puts an additional strain on their heart. In addition to the risks mentioned above, hypertension can have other effects on the body during pregnancy:
- Preeclampsia is a life-threatening condition that may develop after 20 weeks of pregnancy in some women with hypertension. It involves impaired kidney and/or liver function, decreased blood platelets, fluid in the lungs, and seizures. Hypertension, especially in patients with preeclampsia, can necessitate induced labor or a C-section as early as 34 weeks.
- High blood pressure can prevent the placenta, which nourishes the fetus, from receiving enough blood. This puts the baby at serious risk of consequences such as low birth weight, premature birth, and even stillbirth.
- Between 6% – 8% of pregnancies result in gestational hypertension, which is high blood pressure that develops in the second half of pregnancy. It usually goes away after childbirth but can increase the risk of a patient developing chronic hypertension later.
Both chronic and gestational hypertension increase a person’s risk of developing preeclampsia.
Definition of Hypertension
A normal blood pressure reading is 120/80. High blood pressure (hypertension) is defined as blood pressure higher than 130/80.
During pregnancy, hypertension is defined as blood pressure above 140/90, and is experienced in up to 10% of pregnancies.
Left untreated, hypertension can cause artery damage, kidney failure, vision loss, sleep disruptions, dementia, stroke, aneurysm, and heart attacks.
For pregnant women, chronic high blood pressure is an immediate threat to both the mother and the baby.
How to Know If You Have High Blood Pressure
Common signs of hypertension include:
- swelling
- headaches
- vision changes
- nausea
- abdominal pain, and
- frequent urination.
However, many of these symptoms can occur during normal pregnancies or as a result of other conditions. Hypertension can also remain asymptomatic even during pregnancy.
The only way to diagnose hypertension for sure is to have your blood pressure checked. This is just one of the important reasons that routine OB care is important during pregnancy.
Your OB provider will check your blood pressure at every prenatal appointment, and advise if any lifestyle adjustments or treatments are needed to keep it under control.
What Causes High Blood Pressure?
There is no single cause for the onset of chronic hypertension. But some behaviors or health conditions make a person more likely to develop it, such as:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Poor diet, especially high salt intake
- Genetics
- Obesity
- Insulin resistance
Gestational hypertension develops in individuals who had normal blood pressure before becoming pregnant. The causes are not clear, but certain groups are at higher risk. Risk factors for gestational hypertension include:
- Diabetes or kidney disease
- Certain pre-existing medical conditions, like autoimmune diseases
- A personal or family history of high blood pressure during pregnancy
- Multiple pregnancy (carrying more than one fetus)
- Obesity
- Advanced age (35 or older)
- Being pregnant for the first time
Treatment for High Blood Pressure
If you are dealing with chronic high blood pressure, it’s important to talk with your primary care provider or cardiologist before becoming pregnant. You may need to change your medications or learn how to use a home blood pressure monitor.
Some common treatments for high blood pressure during pregnancy include:
Healthy food & exercise
Healthy eating and regular exercise, always important for managing hypertension, become even more critical for a patient during pregnancy.
Aspirin
If taken at the appropriate time and dose, low-dose aspirin has been shown to reduce the risk of patients developing preeclampsia. But aspirin can cause other problems if taken for too long, at a higher dosage, or too late in a pregnancy.
Talk to your primary care provider about the possibility of taking aspirin if you have a family history of preeclampsia or are at moderate to high risk of developing the condition.
Steroids
If your blood pressure puts you at risk of early delivery, your OB provider may prescribe steroids to help your baby’s lungs develop faster. In addition, you may be put on bed rest to delay premature birth as long as possible.
Hypertension and a Healthy Birth
Although hypertension during pregnancy has serious risks, it is important to remember that it can be managed successfully during pregnancy.
The majority of patients with hypertension during pregnancy reach full term and have a healthy birth with no serious complications. Mothers can improve their chances of having a safe and healthy delivery by attending all recommended prenatal appointments, and following their OB provider’s instructions and guidance carefully.
Get Support from An Experienced OB Provider
If you’re pregnant and know you have hypertension, or if you have high blood pressure and are considering becoming pregnant, request an appointment with WWMG’s experienced Family Medicine OB providers at Whitehorse Family Medicine.
Our healthcare team is dedicated to offering comprehensive OB care and primary care all in one place, to support and guide you through a successful pregnancy.
Contact us to request an appointment to address your concerns, answer your questions, and provide the physical and mental health support for a safe and healthy pregnancy. Learn more about OB care at WWMG today.