Hypertension Treatment in Pregnancy – Therapy for Gestational Hypertension

Since the time of Adam and Eve pregnancy and delivery have been a part of life, which for most women is a wonderful experience. However, for some women health challenges rise for which therapy or treatment is necessary. Hypertension is one of those conditions.

Three Hypertension Categories

Hypertension during pregnancy basically falls into one of 3 categories. Women who have high blood pressure prior to their pregnancy fall into the chronic hypertensive category. This category can also include women who have passed twenty weeks of pregnancy, with no traces of protein in their urine. The second category is pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), formally called pre-eclampsia. This hypertension usually presents itself in the third-trimester and presents with protein in the urine. The final category would be Chronic and PIH combined.

Chronic Hypertension Treatment

For women with chronic hypertension, pregnancies generally carry on without any problems, even if pressure does rise slightly. For those on medication to control the blood pressure, they will want to ensure that they are using medication other than ACE Inhibitors which are the current trend for treading hypertension, as these have been identified as drugs that can cause birth defects. Note however, that the correlation seems to be greater if these drugs are used in later stages of pregnancy, rather than earlier, which is a relief in that it allows women to consult with their doctors and determine which would be the appropriate drug to switch to. In either case, with or without medication, it’s important to have regular visits to allow the doctor to keep a close watch and thus able to make better decisions for both mom and baby, if the condition changes.

Therapy for Pregnancy Induced Hypertension

PIH is more complicated as high blood pressure is an effect of the condition, rather than the condition itself. The only real treatment for PIH is delivery, so medication is not necessarily useful. Regular practices such as resting, limiting salt intake, eating fruit and vegetables and effective stress management can be employed to assist the body as much as possible, since the challenge is to try and allow the pregnancy to go long enough to give the baby as much developmental time as possible, without putting either the mom or baby at risk.

If chronic hypertension or pregnancy induced hypertension are not enough on their own, it becomes even trickier when the two come together as doctors have to try and determine which is causing the blood pressure to rise.

Problems Arising from High Blood Pressure during Pregnancy

Though some doctors dismiss the notion that there are degrees of PIH based on the amount of protein in the urine, they all recognize the fact that left untreated, hypertension affects the blood flow to the placenta, which can cause premature aging of the placenta, and endangers normal baby development. Ultrasounds checks may be used at regular intervals to help assess the state of the placenta, how the baby is doing and the amount of amniotic fluid. In the case of PIH, induction is the usual treatment once conditions point to the likelihood of its success.

Do What You Can

Between doctor appointments, counting fetal kicks every day is a way to keep track of the development of the baby. If you find that the baby is less active than normal, you should immediately notify your doctor. Watch your diet. While some women feel pregnancy is a time to eat unrestrictedly, ideally it would be best to supply yourself and your baby with the best nutrition you can afford. A diet rich in nutrition goes a long way in providing the body with the building blocks it needs to carry on its innumerable tasks. Getting plenty of rest and adequate exercise will also enhance the body’s ability for optimal function. As always, talk with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

Regardless of any condition, the value of regular pre-natal checks cannot be overstated.