World Preeclampsia Day 2020: It’s time to become active partners in your healthcare

Today is World Preeclampsia Day. The aim of this day is to raise awareness about this condition that is characterized by high blood pressure during and also after pregnancy. According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, nearly 76,000 mothers and 500,000 babies worldwide lose their lives to preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy every year. To raise awareness about this life-threatening complication of pregnancy, several global maternal health organizations have joined forces for the fourth annual World Preeclampsia Day today.

This year, as COVID-19 has impacted access to prenatal and postnatal care and telehealth is being widely used, personal awareness of blood pressure, the hallmark signal for preeclampsia, is needed now more than ever. “Our goal is to educate and empower mothers to know the signs and symptoms and to the extent possible to check their blood pressure at home,” says Eleni Tsigas, Chief Executive Officer of the Preeclampsia Foundation. The theme this year is ‘Check, Know, Share’. This campaign seeks to teach women how to take their blood pressure, understand their numbers, and talk to their healthcare provider about treatment.

Preeclampsia, was earlier called ‘toxemia of pregnancy’. This may develop into the more severe condition called eclampsia if left untreated. Eclampsia includes symptoms of preeclampsia, along with seizures.

Women need to take charge of their health

It is absolutely essential that pregnant and postpartum mothers download a blood pressure log, take twice daily readings, recognize abnormal readings and seek prompt medical attention.

As Professor Laura Magee, President of the ISSHP and a practicing clinician and advocate for patient engagement, says, “By teaching women to measure and track their blood pressure, they become active partners in their healthcare.”

A silent disease

According to the Preeclampsia Foundation, this disease can strike without warning. It usually happens after the 20th week of pregnancy and up to six weeks after birth. It is not a rare condition. Together with related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, it affects around 10 per cent of all pregnant women worldwide. It is also the leading cause of medically indicated preterm births.

Symptoms of preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a multi-system syndrome. If you have this condition, you will have high blood pressure and usually, but not always, protein in the urine. Here we list a few common symptoms of this condition.

Severe headache that will not go away even with medication
Changes in vision (spots, light flashes, or vision loss)
Difficulty breathing, gasping, or panting
Upper right belly pain often mistaken for indigestion or the flu
Swelling of the face and hands
Weight gain of more than five pounds (2,3 kg) in one week
Nausea after mid-pregnancy

If you notice any of these conditions, seek prompt medical help. This will help prevent complications and ensure overall health. Home remedies and lifestyle modifications and will definitely help in the treatment of this condition. But you need dedicated medical attention and proper treatment if you develop any symptoms of this disease.