{"id":3235,"date":"2022-11-28T20:58:22","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T20:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/health.theemtspot.com\/?p=3235"},"modified":"2026-04-11T19:54:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T19:54:16","slug":"high-blood-pressure-during-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/high-blood-pressure-during-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-larger-font-size\"><strong>Quick Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"--ek-bullet-color:#ea4474\" class=\"is-style-connected has-list-bullet-color wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pregnancy-related high blood pressure is a common condition worldwide.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High blood pressure detected before 20 weeks of pregnancy indicates chronic hypertension, which may turn severe, preeclampsia and eclampsia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Both mother and the baby may face complications if the blood pressure becomes abnormally high.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A few women develop high blood pressure during pregnancy. This could lead to pregnancy complications, putting both the mother and the unborn child in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, high blood pressure may be controlled and prevented. Timely intervention and monitoring can make the journey smooth with no aftermath post-delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article discusses &gt;high blood pressure during pregnancy in detail, from what it is and what causes it to the treatment options available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">Understanding High Blood Pressure In Pregnancy<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pregnancy-related high blood pressure is a <strong>common medical condition<\/strong> that often goes away once you deliver the baby. However, in some cases, it may turn life-threatening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blood pressure, as we know, is how strongly your blood is pressing against the blood vessel walls when moving through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">What Causes Change in Blood Pressure During Pregnancy<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Generally, a woman&#8217;s <strong>blood volume increases<\/strong> during pregnancy. In fact, according to a study, from just before conception until the end of pregnancy, a woman&#8217;s blood volume can increase by as much as 45%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This increase in the total blood volume requires much<strong> more work for the body<\/strong>, especially for the <strong>heart,<\/strong> which must pump extra blood throughout the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>left ventricle<\/strong>, which performs most of the heart&#8217;s pumping, thus, <strong>enlarges and thickens<\/strong>. Yet, the heart pumps blood more forcefully to accommodate the greater amount of blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>kidneys release large amounts of vasopressin<\/strong> and other hormones as part of the overall process to increase water retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note: Pregnancy is only one of the reasons for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/why-does-my-blood-pressure-fluctuate\/\" class=\"ek-link\">changes in blood pressure<\/a>. There are many more; here\u2019s an article that discusses other reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">What Are The Different Blood Pressure Conditions In Pregnancy?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are <strong>three types of blood pressure<\/strong> that can be noticed during pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gestational hypertension<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It is when high blood pressure is detected In the <strong>absence of protein in the urine<\/strong> or any heart or renal issues during the pregnancy. Typically, it is seen <strong>after 20 weeks<\/strong> of gestation or near the time of delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gestational hypertension usually subsides once the baby is born. However, the risk of acquiring chronic hypertension is high for pregnant women with gestational hypertension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chronic hypertension<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman may develop chronic hypertension when she already had high blood pressure before she got pregnant. Her high blood pressure may be diagnosed <strong>during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Preeclampsia<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When hypertension appears after 20 weeks of pregnancy, preeclampsia ensues. <strong>Damage to other organ systems<\/strong>, such as the kidneys, liver, blood, or brain, is linked to preeclampsia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is found in <strong>2-8 percent of pregnancies<\/strong>. Preeclampsia is a severe medical condition that can even turn fatal for the baby and the mother. Some expectant women may also develop eclampsia, which can result in seizures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> A pregnant woman may have <strong>preeclampsia without protein <\/strong>in the urine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">Signs And Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The signs of elevated blood pressure during pregnancy can occasionally be <strong>undetectable or mild<\/strong>. Because of all the changes that occur during pregnancy, it&#8217;s critical to understand the signs of high blood pressure, possibly on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/blood-pressure\/chart\/\">blood pressure chart.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wptb-container-legacy\" data-table-id=\"3264\">\n    <table class=\"wptb-preview-table wptb-element-main-table_setting-3264 edit-active\" style=\"border: 1px solid rgb(209, 209, 209);\" data-reconstraction=\"1\" data-wptb-table-tds-sum-max-width=\"262.40000000000003\" data-wptb-cells-width-auto-count=\"2\" data-wptb-horizontal-scroll-status=\"false\" data-wptb-extra-styles=\"LyogRW50ZXIgeW91ciBjdXN0b20gQ1NTIHJ1bGVzIGhlcmUgKi8=\" role=\"table\" data-wptb-responsive-directives=\"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\" data-wptb-adaptive-table=\"0\" data-wptb-even-row-background-color=\"#FFFFFFFF\" data-wptb-odd-row-background-color=\"#EDEDEDFF\" data-table-columns=\"2\"><tbody><tr class=\"wptb-row\"><td class=\"wptb-cell\" data-y-index=\"0\" data-x-index=\"0\" style=\"border: 1px solid rgb(209, 209, 209);\" data-wptb-css-td-auto-width=\"true\"><div class=\"wptb-text-container wptb-ph-element wptb-element-text-162\" style=\"color: rgb(74, 85, 104); font-size: 15px;\"><div class=\"\" style=\"position: relative;\"><p><strong>Gestational hypertension<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/td><td class=\"wptb-cell\" data-y-index=\"0\" data-x-index=\"1\" style=\"border: 1px solid rgb(209, 209, 209);\" data-wptb-css-td-auto-width=\"true\"><div class=\"wptb-text-container wptb-ph-element wptb-element-text-163\" style=\"color: rgb(74, 85, 104); font-size: 15px;\"><div class=\"\" style=\"position: relative;\"><p>140\/90<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr><tr class=\"wptb-row\" style=\"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"><td class=\"wptb-cell\" data-y-index=\"1\" data-x-index=\"0\" style=\"border: 1px solid rgb(209, 209, 209);\" data-wptb-css-td-auto-width=\"true\"><div class=\"wptb-text-container wptb-ph-element wptb-element-text-164\" style=\"color: rgb(74, 85, 104); font-size: 15px;\"><div class=\"\" style=\"position: relative;\"><p><strong>Pregnancy-related severe hypertension<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/td><td class=\"wptb-cell\" data-y-index=\"1\" data-x-index=\"1\" style=\"border: 1px solid rgb(209, 209, 209);\" data-wptb-css-td-auto-width=\"true\"><div class=\"wptb-text-container wptb-ph-element wptb-element-text-165\" style=\"color: rgb(74, 85, 104); font-size: 15px;\"><div class=\"\" style=\"position: relative;\"><p>160\/110<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr><tr class=\"wptb-row\" style=\"background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);\"><td class=\"wptb-cell\" data-y-index=\"2\" data-x-index=\"0\" style=\"border: 1px solid rgb(209, 209, 209);\" data-wptb-css-td-auto-width=\"true\"><div class=\"wptb-text-container wptb-ph-element wptb-element-text-166\" style=\"color: rgb(74, 85, 104); font-size: 15px;\"><div class=\"\" style=\"position: relative;\"><p><strong>Normal blood pressure<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/td><td class=\"wptb-cell\" data-y-index=\"2\" data-x-index=\"1\" style=\"border: 1px solid rgb(209, 209, 209);\" data-wptb-css-td-auto-width=\"true\"><div class=\"wptb-text-container wptb-ph-element wptb-element-text-167\" style=\"color: rgb(74, 85, 104); font-size: 15px;\"><div class=\"\" style=\"position: relative;\"><p>120\/80<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>A few signs that may indicate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/what-are-the-symptoms-of-high-blood-pressure-in-women\/\" class=\"ek-link\">high blood pressure in women<\/a> include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"--ek-bullet-color:#ea4474\" class=\"has-list-bullet-color wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nausea or vomiting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Changes in vision<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Severe headaches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Upper abdominal pain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Excess protein in the urine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">Who Are More Susceptible To High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A woman may be at risk for high blood pressure during pregnancy due to <strong>various reasons<\/strong>. By being aware of these risk factors in advance, you and your healthcare provider can create a treatment or prevention strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"--ek-bullet-color:#ea4474\" class=\"has-list-bullet-color wp-block-list\">\n<li>Age<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Diet (high in salt)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Diabetes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ethnicity (African American)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kidney Disease<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Obesity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sedentary lifestyle<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smoking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Family history of high blood pressure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">What Are The Implications Of High Blood pressure In Pregnant Women?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>High blood pressure in women imposes the following risk factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Placental disruption<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The risk of placental abruption increases when preeclampsia and high blood pressure are present. In this case, the <strong>placenta gets detached from the inner wall <\/strong>of the uterus, causing heavy bleeding; placenta separation can be life-threatening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reduced blood flow to the placenta<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result of the placenta&#8217;s <strong>insufficient blood deposition<\/strong>, the fetus receives less oxygen and nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can lead to <strong>low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction, and premature birth.<\/strong> Premature births can have repercussions, including respiratory problems, an increased risk of infection, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Injury to other organs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>eyes,<\/strong> <strong>brain, heart, liver, lungs, kidneys<\/strong>, and other essential organs might suffer damage from poorly controlled high blood pressure. It may even be fatal in extreme circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Intrauterine growth restriction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Fetal <strong>growth could be hindered or diminished<\/strong> due to high blood pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Premature delivery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Early delivery is occasionally necessary to avoid <strong>potentially fatal complications<\/strong> from pregnancy-related high blood pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cardiovascular disease (in the future)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Preeclampsia may make<strong> future heart and cardiovascular illnesses<\/strong> more likely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have experienced<strong> preeclampsia more than once<\/strong>, you are more likely to develop <strong>cardiovascular problems<\/strong> in the future. Additionally, it is increased if you give birth prematurely due to high blood pressure during pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">Treatment For High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A pregnant woman should check her blood pressure due to the risks involved. If detected higher than normal, the following may help to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/blood-pressure\/how-to-lower\/\" class=\"ek-link\">lower blood pressure<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul style=\"--ek-bullet-color:#ea4474\" class=\"has-list-bullet-color wp-block-list\">\n<li>Eat a healthy and balanced diet<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exercise regularly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Take all your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/blood-pressure\/medications\/\" class=\"ek-link\">prescribed medication<\/a> regularly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do not miss all prenatal checkups<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do not drink, smoke, or have substance abuse<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Another element that contributes to high blood pressure is <strong>stress<\/strong>. Learn to manage it and avoid stressful circumstances as much as you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Prenatal yoga, prenatal massages, baths, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/daily-breathing-exercises-that-lower-blood-pressure\/\" class=\"ek-link\">breathing exercises<\/a><\/strong> are all effective ways to relax and maintain optimum health during pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Use a home <strong>blood pressure device<\/strong> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/blood-pressure\/how-to-take\/\" class=\"ek-link\">monitor your blood pressure at home<\/a>. Call your doctor immediately if your blood pressure is higher than usual or if you exhibit preeclampsia symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"rtex-highlighter-1\">Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many pregnant women experience high blood pressure unexpectedly, which can be caused by many different things. <strong>Learning<\/strong> about these symptoms could help you avoid an issue in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s essential to get <strong>advice from your doctor<\/strong> if you&#8217;re concerned about your blood pressure levels and follow their recommendations for managing the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, you can ensure that your high blood pressure <strong>doesn&#8217;t negatively impact <\/strong>your pregnancy or baby.<\/p>\n\r\n\t\t\t<div id=\"daexthefu-container\"\r\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"daexthefu-container daexthefu-layout-side-by-side daexthefu-alignment-left\"\r\n\t\t\t\tdata-post-id=\"3235\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-feedback\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-text\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"daexthefu-title\">Was this helpful?<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-buttons-container\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-buttons\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-yes daexthefu-button daexthefu-button-type-text\" data-value=\"1\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-button-text\">Yes<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-no daexthefu-button daexthefu-button-type-text\" data-value=\"0\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-button-text\">No<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-comment\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-comment-top-container\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<label id=\"daexthefu-comment-label\" class=\"daexthefu-comment-label\"><\/label>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-comment-character-counter-container\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"daexthefu-comment-character-counter-number\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"daexthefu-comment-character-counter-number\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-comment-character-counter-text\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<textarea id=\"daexthefu-comment-textarea\" class=\"daexthefu-comment-textarea\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tplaceholder=\"Type your message\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmaxlength=\"\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t400\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"><\/textarea>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-comment-buttons-container\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"daexthefu-comment-submit daexthefu-button\">Submit<\/button>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"daexthefu-comment-cancel daexthefu-button\">Cancel<\/button>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"daexthefu-successful-submission-text\">Thanks for your feedback!<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Find out what happens when your blood pressure becomes high during pregnancy. We\u2019ve included all the implications and treatment plans to help you overcome it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_helpful_status":1,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blood-pressure"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":538611,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3235\/revisions\/538611"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theemtspot.com\/health\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}