Gestational Hypertension
Blood pressure is one of the most important and common irregularities within the cardiovascular system. It is a vital sign for a reason; it is essential to maintain adequate blood flow to carry out nutrients to our bodies and live. Variations in blood pressure can create a domino effect and can be a silent killer. Hypertension or the increase of tension in the arterial walls is the medical term for high blood pressure. This decreases the amount of blood flow. How do we measure this? The two components systolic pressure (the top number) and diastolic pressure (the bottom number) and is read in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). The systolic blood pressure or systole is the measurement when the heart is contracting and is considered high when it exceeds 140 mmHg. Diastolic blood pressure is
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Preeclampsia is a disease diagnosed in cohesion with increased protienuria. While pregnant medical attention is needed if a single blood pressure reading of 160/110mmHg or two separate reading of at least 140/90mmHg (read 4 hours apart). This can be dangerous, even fatal to both the mother and baby; creating the potential for a blood vessel to hemorrhage or the blood to clot. This can cut off blood circulation to vital viscera such as the uterus. Thus the baby would not get adequate blood supply inevitably creating birth complications such as prematurity.
About a week ago a friend of mine, Meredith, who is in her 32nd week of her pregnancy was hospitalized due to a blood clot. My first question when I was informed was “does she have Preeclampsia?” and the answer was yes she does. This is her second child and she has also had a history of Preeclampsia with her first child which increased her risk for this pregnancy. She has a family history of Preeclampsia with her sister significantly adding to increasing her
Preeclampsia is a disease diagnosed in cohesion with increased protienuria. While pregnant medical attention is needed if a single blood pressure reading of 160/110mmHg or two separate reading of at least 140/90mmHg (read 4 hours apart). This can be dangerous, even fatal to both the mother and baby; creating the potential for a blood vessel to hemorrhage or the blood to clot. This can cut off blood circulation to vital viscera such as the uterus. Thus the baby would not get adequate blood supply inevitably creating birth complications such as prematurity.
About a week ago a friend of mine, Meredith, who is in her 32nd week of her pregnancy was hospitalized due to a blood clot. My first question when I was informed was “does she have Preeclampsia?” and the answer was yes she does. This is her second child and she has also had a history of Preeclampsia with her first child which increased her risk for this pregnancy. She has a family history of Preeclampsia with her sister significantly adding to increasing her