The Risk Factors Associated With Hypertension During Pregnancy

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Hypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiovascular condition that is mainly characterized by blood moving in high force through your arteries. Although this condition has no symptoms, it can cause serious complications if left untreated.

Unfortunately, this condition is a severe and common concern for many pregnant women.

If managed well, hypertension during pregnancy is not risky. However, the condition can cause serious health complications for the mother and the growing infant. According to the CDC, 6 to 8 percent of pregnant women between 20 to 40 years in the US have hypertension.

Causes of High Blood Pressure during Pregnancy

Common causes of hypertension during pregnancy include:

• Obesity or overweight

• Smoking

• Lack of enough physical activities

• First-time pregnancy

• Family history

• Age (women above the age of 35 are highly susceptible)

• Assistive reproductive technology

• Drinking alcohol

• Typical risk factors for hypertension during pregnancy

• Lifestyle habits.

Indulging in unhealthy lifestyle choices might lead to hypertension during pregnancy. For example, being obese or overweight and not staying active are some of the common risk factors for hypertension.

Type of pregnancy

• Women who are carrying a baby for the first time are more likely to get hypertension. Fortunately, there is minimal chance of this condition in succeeding pregnancies.

• Carrying multiple babies in a single pregnancy makes it more likely for the woman to have hypertension since the body works extra hard to nourish the babies.

• Research conducted by the American society for reproductive medicine indicates that using IVF or assistive technology during conception might increase the likelihood of high blood pressure in pregnant women.

Age

Expectant women above 35 are at a high risk of getting hypertension. In addition, women who had experienced hypertension before they got pregnant are at increased risk for related conditions during pregnancy.

Types of Pregnancy-related Hypertension Conditions

Chronic Hypertension

A woman can have preexisting hypertension before she even gets pregnant. This is known as chronic hypertension, and is treated with medication.

Gestational Hypertension

This type of hypertension manifests after the 20th week of the pregnancy. It usually resolves after delivery. Once diagnosed before the first 30 weeks, there is a high chance it will lead to preeclampsia.

How to Tackle Hypertension during Pregnancy

As the pregnancy progresses, the blood pressure might change. These changes can be attributed to factors such as:

• An increase in blood in the woman’s body: The blood volume in a woman increases by 45 percent during pregnancy. Therefore, this is additional blood that the heart needs to pump throughout the whole body. It, therefore, uses more force to circulate the blood throughout the body.

• The left ventricle becomes larger and thicker, making the heart work extra hard to support the increased blood amount.

• The kidneys produce a high amount of vasopressin, a hormone that causes increased water retention.

Hypertension during pregnancy will typically go away after giving birth. However, if the condition remains, your doctor might prescribe medication.

Some of the risk factors for hypertension, like obesity, can be lowered through workouts and diet. However, the best way to manage blood pressure is to learn what is causing it. When pregnant, it is normal to add some pounds. If this is a concern, consult your physician to know a target weight gain and how to remain at the range that is healthy for you.

How to prevent Hypertension during Pregnancy

Dietary plans for pregnant women differ from one person to the other. A nutritionist will assist you in creating a diet plan that is tailored for your unique weight and height.

Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking as this can increase blood pressure and cause other serious conditions during pregnancy.

Lowering salt intake has been proven to be an effective way to control hypertension. However, since salt is essential during pregnancy, it is not good to limit salt consumption, even for women with hypertension. Limiting salt intake is harmful to pregnant women and can affect fetal development and growth.

Pregnancy triggers hormone changes and also physical and psychological changes. This will cause stress, which will make hypertension hard to manage. So, try stress management methods like meditation and yoga.

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