High blood pressure during pregnancy - what to do?

Pregnancy is a unique process during which a separate organism grows and develops inside a woman. Normally, all changes during pregnancy are physiological and do not require any special intervention. However, in practice, this is far from the case. Very often during pregnancy, various problems arise - swelling, heartburn, shortness of breath, etc. Often, chronic diseases are exacerbated, the individual characteristics of the organism of the future mother are affected. But the most common problem is a change in blood pressure. As a rule, the pressure during pregnancy decreases, since the heart is forced to work on two organisms, the load doubles. But in some cases, the pressure rises, especially if there was a history of hypertension before pregnancy. In this article, we will try to figure out why the pressure rises, what contributes to this and how to reduce it at home.

Physiological changes in blood pressure

To understand whether the pressure in the body rises or falls, you need to know your working pressure. As a rule, it depends on individual characteristics. Ideally, a woman should know the level of her pressure in a healthy state before pregnancy. This is a physiological reference that you can rely on. The middle value is considered pressure 120/90. It is allowed to reduce the normal pressure to 100/70 and increase to the level of 140/100. Remember that an increase in pressure can be triggered by a natural reaction of the body to some external factors.

1. Pressure rises after physical exertion. During pregnancy, a quick step is enough, after which shortness of breath appears and the tonometer readings change.
2. Strong overwork and fatty foods can also increase blood circulation and, as a result, increase pressure.
3. Blood pressure levels increase dramatically after suffering stress.
4. Some caffeinated foods and drinks can increase blood pressure. This is coffee, strong tea, energy, cocoa, etc.
5. Blood pressure may rise while taking certain medications.

Remember that a single measurement of blood pressure at the doctor does not mean anything, indicators can be changed by various factors. To identify the average values, you need to measure the pressure in the morning for several days.

How to understand that the pressure is increased?

High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy - Risks

An increase in blood pressure during pregnancy is a truly dangerous condition.In the early stages, hypertension can cause abnormal formation of the placental bed, which subsequently leads to spontaneous miscarriage. Even if the placenta forms correctly, high blood pressure can cause hypoxia in the baby. This means that the fetus will not receive proper nutrition, may be born of little weight. Oxygen starvation can lead to fetal developmental pathologies. In the later stages, high blood pressure can cause swelling of the lower and upper limbs of a woman. Often, hypertension in the later stages indicates gestosis of pregnant women. In the third trimester of pregnancy, high blood pressure can cause premature aging of the placenta and premature birth. Hypertension is dangerous not only during pregnancy, a jump in blood pressure during labor can lead to retinal detachment and even stroke.

The pressure during pregnancy does not increase in every woman, the risk group is primarily mothers who, even before pregnancy, suffered from hypertension. Pressure often rises in overweight women. Kidney diseases, hormonal disruptions, CVD diseases, autonomic disorders, diabetes mellitus, a history of traumatic brain injuries, thyroid dysfunction, age over 40 - all this is a risk factor in which you need to constantly monitor blood pressure levels.

Normally, the pressure should be measured every time you visit an observing gynecologist in a antenatal clinic. In the presence of risk factors, pressure should be measured once a week and for every deterioration in well-being. It is much easier to have your own tonometer, which is always at hand. It is better to buy an electronic blood pressure monitor, because it is easier to use, especially if you have to measure the pressure on your own.

How to get rid of high blood pressure during pregnancy yourself?

Pregnancy is a condition in which a woman must carefully monitor her health, give up bad habits, think not only about herself, but also about a small body that develops inside. Here are some tips to help reduce blood pressure during pregnancy without the use of medication.

1. Avoid stress. It is clear that during pregnancy, a woman has a lot of worries, they are associated with housing and financial issues, relations with her husband, work problems. Very often, a woman is worried about the health of the future baby. Nerves do not lead to anything good and harm not only mom but also the baby. Stresses, depressions, experiences - this is one of the most common causes of increased pressure, such situations should be avoided. Understand that at this stage of life there is nothing more important than the health of the child. In addition, in most cases, nothing depends on your experiences, so is it worth it to be nervous in vain?
2. Moderate amount of water. Very often, a woman is recommended to drink more water, this is due to various conditions. So with increased pressure you need to drink water, but in moderation. The total amount of fluid consumed per day should not exceed 2-2.5 liters.
3. Diet. Nutrition plays a huge role in maintaining blood pressure. To avoid increasing it, you need to get rid of foods such as chocolate, coffee, strong black tea, fatty meat, marinades, salted and fried foods, butter, smoked foods, sugar and its derivatives in the diet. At the same time, some products can reduce pressure, among them green tea, cranberry and cranberry juice, fruit drinks, fresh berries, any fruits. Pressure is reduced by vegetables - spinach, carrots, pumpkin, cabbage, beets.
4. The quality of life. Pregnancy, weighed down by high pressure, is an occasion to change the quality of your life for the better. A woman should devote more time to walks in the fresh air, expectant mother needs to relax.Try to engage in acceptable types of physical activity - swimming, gymnastics for pregnant women, yoga, Pilates, etc. A cool and contrasting shower will help reduce pressure in a few minutes. It is very useful to massage the fingers - stretching movements will help normalize the pressure. Acupressure of the base of the skull is effective not only in the fight against pressure, but also against headaches.
5. Folk remedies. You should not get carried away with herbal medicine during pregnancy, but you can use reliable, safe and effective recipes for traditional medicine. Cranberry juice will help lower blood pressure. Fresh berries are washed and squeezed juice out of it. Cake should be poured with boiling water and let it brew for a couple of hours. Then the cake is filtered, the previously obtained juice is added to the resulting broth. For taste, you can put honey, mint or lemon juice in the drink. Drink fruit drinks as often as possible. In the fight against high blood pressure, corn is effective - eat it in a steamed or boiled form. You can reduce pressure with a decoction of pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. A properly balanced diet is the basis of health and well-being, both for the woman herself and her baby in the womb.

Compliance with a balanced diet and adequate physical exertion will not only support the body in good shape, but also help to maintain a figure. For many women, this will be a nice bonus.

Despite the fact that pregnancy is not a disease, but a special condition of a woman, she must carefully take care of her body. It is necessary to switch to proper nutrition, adhere to a healthy lifestyle, give up bad habits and regularly measure blood pressure. If it rises constantly and the indicators are higher than acceptable, be sure to make a cardiogram, consult a physician and cardiologist so that the doctor prescribes maintenance treatment. Sometimes pressure can be a symptom of more serious illnesses. Watch for changes in your body - this will help you protect the baby in the womb.

Video: what to do if a pregnant woman has high blood pressure?