Eclampsia is characterized by the appearance of epileptic seizures or convulsions in pregnant women and can lead to loss of consciousness. This does not happen because of any brain disease, but because of an excessive increase in the mother’s blood pressure, often after the 20th week of gestation. When this happens, a series of spasms occur in the blood vessels of the uterus that can cut off the baby’s blood supply and deprive him of oxygen.
Reaching this stage is not only dangerous for the life of the fetus but also the mother. However, prenatal checkups during pregnancy usually detect the disease early, before seizures appear. In this FastlyHealarticle, we explain the causes, symptoms and treatment of Eclampsia.
Table of Contents
Causes of Eclampsia
Eclampsia always appears after suffering from pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy complication that causes high blood pressure, weight gain, and the presence of protein in the urine on examination. However, only 1 in 2,000 pregnant women end up suffering from Eclampsia; It should be added that the risk increases if pre-eclampsia occurs with headaches, abnormal blood tests, and vision disturbances. Some of the factors that increase the chances of developing Eclampsia are the following:
- Having vascular problems.
- Certain neurological characteristics.
- The diet.
- Genetic factors.
- Being pregnant for the first time.
- Being a teenager.
- Be over 35 years of age.
- Having multiple pregnancies.
- Having a history of diabetes, hypertension, or kidney disease.
Eclampsia symptoms
Being aware of the symptoms of pre-eclampsia is essential since treating it early is the best way to prevent seizures from getting worse and developing. Preeclampsia is characterized by the following:
- Weight gain, minimum 1 kg per week.
- Nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain.
- Headaches.
- Swelling in the face and hands.
- Vision problems
If preeclampsia eventually leads to Eclampsia, the symptoms will be:
- Muscle pains.
- Intense agitation
- Epileptic seizures or seizures.
- Loss of consciousness
Eclampsia treatment
When treating this pathology, the main objective is to increase the mother’s blood flow to reach her brain correctly; For this, the method is based on sedating the patient and reducing her blood pressure.
The next step is to choose to perform a cesarean section if the baby is sufficiently developed, often after 28 weeks, since prolonging the pregnancy of a woman with Eclampsia is quite dangerous. In short, childbirth is the best remedy to avoid putting the life of the mother and the baby at risk.
In cases where the gestation has not reached enough weeks, you can choose to use anticonvulsant drugs to prevent seizures or start labor; however, in this case, the fetus may not survive. Drugs to lower blood pressure are another option when you want to prolong your pregnancy for a few more weeks.
Possible complications
Women with both pre-eclampsia and Eclampsia are at very high risk for complications such as those listed below:
- Premature detachment of the placenta.
- Premature delivery
- Blood clotting problems.
When to contact the doctor?
If you notice any of the following signs, you need to go to the emergency room immediately:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Severe headaches
- Few movements in the baby.
- Abdominal pain.
- Sight loss.
- Nausea and vomiting
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Eclampsia: causes, symptoms and treatment , we recommend that you enter our Pregnancy and baby health category .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.