How to Diagnose Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication, also called toxemia, which occurs when a pregnant woman's blood pressure becomes dangerously high. She will also experience severe swelling in her limbs and have protein in her urine. Read on to learn how you can diagnose preeclampsia and know if you are at risk to develop the disorder.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Know the symptoms of preeclampsia. Besides the aforementioned swelling, protein in the urine and high blood pressure, a woman may experience abnormal weight gain (caused by the buildup of bodily fluids), pain in the abdomen, headaches, a change in her reflexes, decreased urination frequency, dizziness or extreme vomiting and nausea. About five to eight percent of all pregnant women will develop the condition.
2. Realize when you are most at risk for developing preeclampsia. Most women will see the signs of the condition during the later half of the second trimester or during the early third trimester.
3. Understand the risk factors that may contribute to preeclampsia. Inadequate maternal nutrition, a high body fat percentage or poor blood flow to the uterus may lead to preeclampsia. In addition, those women who had high blood pressure before becoming pregnant, have had preeclampsia before, have female relatives who had the condition, are obese, are carrying multiples, or have diabetes, kidney disease, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis are at a greater risk for developing preeclampsia.
4. Recognize the dangers that preeclampsia poses. It diminishes blood flow to the fetus, which can lead to cerebral palsy, epilepsy, vision and hearing problems and learning disabilities. If left untreated, preeclampsia turns into eclampsia, during which the mother can have seizures or go into a coma, and both the mother and baby's lives are at risk.
5. If preeclampsia is minor to moderate, a doctor may place the mother on bed rest and prescribe medication. If the condition is severe, a doctor may induce labor immediately. Birthing the baby is the only way to "cure" preeclampsia.