Preeclampsia:
Another Health Problem
Besides higher possibility of
developing type 2 diabetes after pregnancy, women who have gestational diabetes
may also develop preeclampsia during pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention [CDC], 2010). Similar to
diabetes, preeclampsia is a health condition that appears during pregnancy; its
main characteristic includes elevated blood pressure (Preeclampsia Foundation
[PF], 2013). When the heart pumps blood,
pumped blood creates a pressure against the wall of the arteries, which may
rise and lead to high blood pressure (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
[NHLB], 2012). Blood pressure is measured with a high blood pressure meter
(electronic or manual) and expressed as a fraction. The numerator (number on top of the fraction)
is called diastolic and the denominator (number at the bottom of the fraction) is
the diastolic. Systolic is the blood
pressure when the heart pumps blood and diastolic is the pressure when the
heart relaxes (NHLBI, 2013). The NHLBI
(2013) considers a normal blood pressure to have a systolic of less or equal to
120 and a diastolic of less or equal to 80 (120/80) millimeters of mercury
(mmHg). A person with high blood
pressure has a systolic equal to or above 140 and a diastolic equal to or above
90 or 140/90 mmHg. 
High blood pressure may go unnoticed for many months. This is dangerous because it may slowly damage the heart, blood vessels, and the kidneys and cause other complications. Imagine being told that you had high blood pressure or that you had to be admitted to the hospital and rest for the rest of your pregnancy! Even though blood pressure during pregnancy can be silent, it can be detected during prenatal visits. Women are encouraged to go to each prenatal visit during the course of pregnancy.
Other preeclampsia signs include
proteinuria or protein in urine, swelling (edema), sudden weight gain, nausea
or vomiting, abdominal pain, shoulder pain, lower back pain, changes in vision,
mental confusion, anxiety, or shortness of breath (PF, 2013). Pregnant women are encouraged to let their
health care provider know about any change they notice during pregnancy in
order to take care of the issue on time.
References
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Diabetes
and pregnancy. Retrieved form
National
Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2012). What
is high blood pressure? Retrieved from
Preeclampsia
Foundation. (2013). Welcome to the Preeclampsia
Foundation. Retrieved from
