What is a high blood pressure pregnancy?

If your blood pressure has consistently been going up since the end of the second trimester of pregnancy, you may have gestational hypertension. In a high blood pressure, it is essential that your blood pressure and your baby’s wellbeing are monitored, as in some cases, complications can occur in cases of gestational hypertension.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms of gestational hypertension are:

• a sudden decrease in your urine flow
• abdominal pain
• swollen ankles and face
• headache
• vomiting
• general fatigue
• in some cases, pre-eclampsia

How is it diagnosed?

To diagnose gestational hypertension, your doctor will monitor your blood pressure reading. Your systolic pressure should never be higher than the 140/90 to 149/99mmHg range.

What causes it?

It is not known exactly what causes gestational hypertension. However, it has been demonstrated that women who are 35 or older who have been pregnant before, as well as those who have a family history of gestational hypertension, have a higher risk of developing the condition.

A combination of factors, such as a weakened immune system, placental abnormalities, or a diet low in calcium, zinc and proteins can also lead to gestational hypertension.

How can high blood pressure be prevented in pregnancy?

Maintaining a healthy weight prior to getting pregnant is very important. Being obese or overweight is a risk factor, as during the nine months of pregnancy your weight will inevitably increase, leading to a higher risk of developing high blood pressure.

In order to maintain a healthy weight, it's also important to eat a healthy diet by avoiding eating too much, making sure you get all the nutrients you need and staying hydrated by drinking two litres of water per day. You must absolutely avoid smoking and drinking alcohol, as this can increase the risk of gestational hypertension by as much as ten times.

In any case of suspected gestational hypertension, it is important to monitor blood pressure frequently, increasing the rate of readings during the last trimester of pregnancy.

How is it treated?

Hypertension isn’t usually a major problem during pregnancy. In only the most critical cases, labour may be induced at the 40th week to prevent complications.

If required, treatment may consist of taking some medication. Some women may require hospital admission to safely treat the elevated blood pressure.