What is (are) preeclampsia ?
Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy in which affected women develop high blood pressure (hypertension) and can also have abnormally high levels of protein in their urine. This condition usually occurs in the last few months of pregnancy and often requires the early delivery of the infant.  Many women with mild preeclampsia do not feel ill, and the problem is first detected through blood pressure and urine testing in their doctor's office. Other early features of the disorder are swelling (edema) of the face or hands and a weight gain of more than 2 pounds within a few days. More severely affected women may experience headaches, dizziness, irritability, shortness of breath, a decrease in urination, upper abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting. Vision changes may develop, including flashing lights or spots, increased sensitivity to light (photophobia), blurry vision, or temporary blindness.  In most cases, preeclampsia is mild and goes away within a few weeks after the baby is born. In severe cases, however, preeclampsia can impact the mother's organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys and can lead to life-threatening complications. Extreme hypertension in the mother can cause bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). The effects of high blood pressure on the brain (hypertensive encephalopathy) may also result in seizures. If seizures occur, the condition is considered to have progressed to eclampsia, which can result in coma. Without treatment to help prevent seizures, about 1 in 200 women with preeclampsia develop eclampsia.  Between 10 and 20 percent of women with severe preeclampsia develop another potentially life-threatening complication called HELLP syndrome. HELLP stands for hemolysis (premature red blood cell breakdown), elevated liver enzyme levels, and low platelets (cell fragments involved in blood clotting), which are the key features of this condition.  Severe preeclampsia can also affect the fetus, with impairment of blood and oxygen flow leading to growth problems or stillbirth. Infants delivered early due to preeclampsia may have complications associated with prematurity, such as breathing problems caused by underdeveloped lungs.  Women who have had preeclampsia have approximately twice the lifetime risk of heart disease and stroke than do women in the general population. Researchers suggest this may be due to common factors that increase the risk of preeclampsia, heart disease, and stroke.