Preeclampsia is a condition that can occur during the second half of pregnancy in which the mother begins to suffer from high blood pressure as well as many other complications and symptoms which are associated only with the condition. The concept of pregnancy induced hypertension is not so much about the increase in blood pressure as it is common for a pregnant mother to have increased blood pressure levels during her term, but rather the specific symptoms that arise with the condition.

This pregnancy induced hypertension includes symptoms like the possibility of liver and kidney damage as well as the possibility of brain damage to both the mother and the gestating fetus. The condition generally develops between weeks 20 and 32 of the gestation period and a mother who has been diagnosed with chronic hypertension during her first prenatal check up has an increased chance of incurring preeclampsia later on during the pregnancy.

Pregnancy induced hypertension is associated with a number of symptoms which can include headaches, protein in the urine as well as the possibility of suffering a stroke. Most of these symptoms are made worse by the simple fact that both the mother and the fetus can suffer them. While the condition is considered to be asymptomatic, it is very dangerous and can even be fatal for the gestating fetus. Furthermore, the pregnant mother may also suffer from lower abdominal pains which may mimic those of heart burn but in fact may originate from the liver and/or kidneys.

The condition can occur in roughly 10% of all pregnancies world wide and usually the symptoms start to arise right after the 32nd week of pregnancy. Furthermore, it has been shown to be more common in women who are experiencing their first pregnancy with the number dropping exponentially through future pregnancies. There has also been sufficient evidence which shows that older pregnant mothers are more at risk of developing pregnancy induced hypertension than the younger mothers.

Unfortunately, there is only two forms of treatment for pregnancy induced hypertension. One good and one bad option! The first is the mother will have to have the fetus aborted especially in cases where the preeclmapsia has graduated into an advanced eclampsia and the time left before a safe induced pregnancy can be performed is too great. On the other hand, if the condition is still fairly mild and only a few weeks are left until the expected due date, the doctor will induce the pregnancy. These are currently the only treatments currently available for those who are suffering from pregnancy induced hypertension due to the fact that an actual cause has yet to be determined sufficiently enough to allow for a more focused treatment option. Furthermore, if the fetus is not born or aborted, the chances that not only the fetus can die, but also the mother increases daily.

_{»crosslinked«}

Hypertension is a disease which affects almost 33% of all individuals in the United States.  It can cause a whole host of problems for those that suffer from it including kidney damage, heart attack, heart failure and stroke.  There may be times, however, when we have a temporary form of high blood pressure that we need to deal with.  This is the case whenever an individual has pregnancy induced hypertension, a fairly common occurrence, especially in first-time mothers.  Just because it is common, however, does not mean that it is safe.

Along with all of the other problems that can come from hypertension, there is also a lot of danger to the baby that is growing inside of you.  For example, pregnancy induced hypertension can cause stillbirth, retardation in the baby and early births.  It is thought that up to 8% of all first-time birth mothers are affected to a certain degree by pregnancy induced hypertension.  Because high blood pressure rarely ever carries any outward symptoms, it is imperative that you take part in all of your prenatal doctor's visits so that these kind of problems can be caught early.  Once your doctor realizes that you have this problem, he can go about treating it so that it does not cause any difficulties for you or your baby.

In normal hypertension, there are not typically any signs or symptoms that will show that you have the disease. The same is true with pregnancy induced hypertension but you should always be aware of any signs that your body is giving you during the time that you are pregnant.  If something seems to be out of the ordinary, make sure that you discuss it with your doctor in order to rule out any problems that may be occurring.  This is especially true if the problem seems severe or persistent as it could be part of a serious problem.

There are several ways the pregnancy induced hypertension can be treated.  Some of these treatments include dietary restrictions, such as what works for individuals with regular high blood pressure.  You may also be asked to exercise to a certain extent and get plenty of rest as this can help to lower your blood pressure naturally.  There may be some natural treatments that you can try such as various herbs but you should make sure that you discuss any treatment with your doctor before trying it.