There are a variety of medical terms that are often used to describe high blood pressure during pregnancy, but the most commonly used name that you have probably heard of before is "gestational hypertension.
" Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure, while gestational links the condition to pregnancy.
Since this is an issue that could have serious consequences for any woman and her unborn baby, all women need to be aware of what causes the condition.
The first thing to take into consideration when you are dealing with high blood pressure during pregnancy is whether the problem developed before you became pregnant, or if it developed at some point after you became pregnant.
Many women actually have high blood pressure before becoming pregnant, but they may not know about it until one of their prenatal visits early on in the pregnancy.
If the hypertension started prior to the pregnancy or in the first part of the pregnancy, chances are it will not go away immediately after having the baby.
This is considered a pre-existing condition which your doctor will likely bring under control with medication.
High blood pressure during pregnancy which develops right at the end of the pregnancy is pretty common and is what most doctors use the term gestational hypertension to refer to.
Many women have this, though the exact causes are often not known.
It could be from the weight gain of the pregnancy or other stresses on the body, but typically it is harmless to the mother and unborn baby.
It should go away once the baby is born and your body goes back to normal.
Yet, any woman developing high blood pressure during pregnancy will be required to receive more frequent medical checkups because there are some risks that something more could be wrong.
This is especially true when the condition develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Hypertension can interfere with the growth of the baby by preventing it from receiving adequate sources of food, blood, and oxygen.
If left untreated, it could even cause the placenta to pull away from the uterus too early.
The biggest concern is that high blood pressure during pregnancy could lead to the development of preeclampsia.
This is a very serious condition which often causes dizziness, vision interference, pain in the abdominal area, and potentially life-threatening seizures.
Most doctors will require more frequent checkups if you are having a problem with gestational hypertension because they want to check your urine for proteins, which can be a sign that preeclampsia has set in.
There are many different reasons that someone could develop high blood pressure prior to becoming pregnant.
For instance, obesity and a condition known as PCOS often causes hypertension in women.
Yet, the causes of high blood pressure during pregnancy are largely unknown.
What matters most is pinpointing when the condition developed and whether it could be a danger to the growth and health of the unborn baby, or the pregnant mother.
If it developed prior to the pregnancy without you knowing, then you will likely be able to control it with medication without risk to your baby.
If you developed high blood pressure during pregnancy, then your doctor will have to assess your dangers of developing preeclampsia and bring you in for more frequent check ups.
" Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure, while gestational links the condition to pregnancy.
Since this is an issue that could have serious consequences for any woman and her unborn baby, all women need to be aware of what causes the condition.
The first thing to take into consideration when you are dealing with high blood pressure during pregnancy is whether the problem developed before you became pregnant, or if it developed at some point after you became pregnant.
Many women actually have high blood pressure before becoming pregnant, but they may not know about it until one of their prenatal visits early on in the pregnancy.
If the hypertension started prior to the pregnancy or in the first part of the pregnancy, chances are it will not go away immediately after having the baby.
This is considered a pre-existing condition which your doctor will likely bring under control with medication.
High blood pressure during pregnancy which develops right at the end of the pregnancy is pretty common and is what most doctors use the term gestational hypertension to refer to.
Many women have this, though the exact causes are often not known.
It could be from the weight gain of the pregnancy or other stresses on the body, but typically it is harmless to the mother and unborn baby.
It should go away once the baby is born and your body goes back to normal.
Yet, any woman developing high blood pressure during pregnancy will be required to receive more frequent medical checkups because there are some risks that something more could be wrong.
This is especially true when the condition develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Hypertension can interfere with the growth of the baby by preventing it from receiving adequate sources of food, blood, and oxygen.
If left untreated, it could even cause the placenta to pull away from the uterus too early.
The biggest concern is that high blood pressure during pregnancy could lead to the development of preeclampsia.
This is a very serious condition which often causes dizziness, vision interference, pain in the abdominal area, and potentially life-threatening seizures.
Most doctors will require more frequent checkups if you are having a problem with gestational hypertension because they want to check your urine for proteins, which can be a sign that preeclampsia has set in.
There are many different reasons that someone could develop high blood pressure prior to becoming pregnant.
For instance, obesity and a condition known as PCOS often causes hypertension in women.
Yet, the causes of high blood pressure during pregnancy are largely unknown.
What matters most is pinpointing when the condition developed and whether it could be a danger to the growth and health of the unborn baby, or the pregnant mother.
If it developed prior to the pregnancy without you knowing, then you will likely be able to control it with medication without risk to your baby.
If you developed high blood pressure during pregnancy, then your doctor will have to assess your dangers of developing preeclampsia and bring you in for more frequent check ups.
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