Pregnant and have high blood pressure? Here’s all the information you need

Nearly six percent of pregnant women suffer from hypertension. Either the woman is already hypertensive, or her hypertension is pregnancy induced. When a woman is diagnosed with hypertension up to 20 weeks before pregnancy, it is called essential hypertension but when diagnosed with hypertension during pregnancy it is called pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or gestational hypertension. However during pregnancy, regular anti-hypertensive medication cannot be used.

So what should one do? Dr Nupur Gupta, Gynaecologist and obstetrician, Well Woman Clinic, Gurgaon, says that it is best you inform your doctor that you have hypertension, and the gynaecologist will change your medicines. Similarly, if you are suffering from gestational hypertension, your doctors will prescribe medicines accordingly. Also, the doctors monitor the blood pressure (BP) regularly. If the woman is hypertensive, then BP is checked for any irregularities every four weeks up to 28 weeks and then the frequency of monitoring is increased. From 28 to 36 weeks, the BP is monitored every two weeks and after that it is checked every week up to 40 weeks.

A few warning signs

If you have been monitoring your BP at home and realise that it has shot up to 140/90 mm/Hg, you must visit a doctor immediately. Another sign is swelling of feet or water retention. Many women think swelling of feet is common during pregnancy and tend to ignore it but when the swelling doesn’t go away with adequate rest, you must visit a doctor. Other signs of gestational hypertension include a headache,heartburn, blurring of vision and swelling of hands.

What can you do to control you BP during pregnancy?

According to Dr Gupta, controlling your salt intake is the most important and the best way from preventing your blood pressure from fluctuating. Secondly, you must rest adequately in a lateral position, and monitor your BP regularly. You must also take your medicines at the right time and not skip them.