As a pregnant woman, you have a chance of developing high blood pressure or hypertension at any time. High blood pressure can cause you and your baby severe medical conditions.
The good news is you can prevent and treat it.
Therefore, in this article, we provide you with a guide on the causes of high blood pressure during pregnancy, its symptoms and ways to lower blood pressure during pregnancy.
Table of contents
What causes high blood pressure when pregnant?
Possible causes of high blood pressure when you are pregnant include:
• A family history of pregnancy-related hypertension
• Age (over 35)
• Assistive reproductive technology (such as in vitro fertilization, or IVF)
• Being overweight or obese
• Carrying more than one child
• Drinking alcohol
• First-time pregnancy
• Having diabetes or certain autoimmune diseases
• Getting insufficient physical activity
• Smoking
High blood pressure when pregnant symptoms
The majority of people have no symptoms when their blood pressure becomes high. That is the reason why high blood pressure is sometimes referred to as the “silent killer”.
You are recommended to regularly have prenatal examinations to keep the level of your blood pressure normal. If it is abnormal, you need to get treatment from the doctor immediately.
Be mindful of the fact that even small fluctuations in your life such as diet, physical exercise, sleep quality and stress level can impact your blood pressure. Therefore, make sure you monitor your blood pressure on a regular basis.
Here are ways to decrease blood pressure during pregnancy
1. Refraining from smoking and drinking alcohol
2. Consume plant-based food that is not processed
3. Doing physical exercise on a regular basis
4. Getting regular prenatal checkups
5. Limiting salt intake
6. Staying hydrated
Please keep in mind that some risk factors, for example, family history, race, and past pregnancy history, are not what you can control. Due to this, not all cases of high blood pressure during pregnancy can be prevented.
Medication for lowering blood pressure during pregnancy
Angiotensin receptor blockers, ACE inhibitors and renin inhibitors are medications that you must avoid if you want to lower blood pressure while pregnant. The reasons is that these medications can ruin the health of your developing baby by passing through your bloodstream to your baby.
Instead, you should take safe medicine such as labetalol and methyldopa to properly keep your blood pressure normal.
On the whole, high blood pressure (also referred to as hypertension) can damage your health and the health of your baby if you do not appropriately treat it. Although it can sometimes be life-threatening, it does not result in severe medical conditions all the time. It even occasionally disappear on its own after you deliver your baby.
However, it is always best to have regular prenatal check-ups in case any unusual medical conditions happen which affects your health and the health of your developing baby.