Article: If you are unsure whether your symptoms are just discomfort associated with being pregnant or signs of preeclampsia, contact your doctor to see if you should get checked. Signs of preeclampsia can include: Headaches Shortness of breath Blurred vision, loss of vision, light sensitivity or other vision changes Nausea and/or vomiting Abdominal pain on your right side under your ribs A decrease in urination Preeclampsia can range from mild to severe. If you are experiencing severe symptoms, then it is important to seek immediate medical care. Call your doctor or go to an emergency room right away if you notice a sudden increase in your symptoms or if you are having: severe headaches blurry vision intense abdominal pain difficulty breathing or severe shortness of breath Most often women with preeclampsia experience a sudden spike in their blood pressure, but it can also increase slowly. Not all women who have high blood pressure feel other symptoms. Because of this it is important for your doctor to monitor your blood pressure regularly. Your blood pressure should be below 140/90 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury). If it is higher for more than four hours when you are at rest, this is cause for concern. The doctor will likely do additional tests to check the health of your other organs and your baby. This may involve: Blood tests. This will enable the doctors to check how well your liver and kidneys are working. The doctors will also likely evaluate whether your blood has the right platelet count so that your blood clots properly. Urine analyses. This will measure whether you have too much protein in your urine. This may involve either a single sample or repeated sampling over 24 hours. An ultrasound. During an ultrasound, the doctor uses sound waves that are higher than we can hear to create an image of the baby in your womb. It does not hurt and is not dangerous for you or the baby. The doctor will be able to see if the baby is developing properly by measuring the baby's size and the amount of amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby. A nonstress test. During this test the doctor will measure your baby's heart beat as it moves. A biophysical test. During this test, the doctor may do an ultrasound at the same time as the nonstress test or at a separate time. The biophysical test uses an ultrasound to detect amniotic fluid levels, fetal movement, tone, and breathing. If you are diagnosed with preeclampsia, there are several different combinations of symptoms that may have produced the diagnosis. Your doctor will have detected high blood pressure and at least one of the following symptoms: Protein in your urine. The doctor may refer to this as proteinuria. Other signs of kidney malfunction Decreased liver function Not enough platelets in your blood Pulmonary edema. This occurs when your lungs fill with fluid. Vision problems Headaches that are new or different than usual.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Go to the doctor if you have symptoms of preeclampsia. Seek immediate medical attention for severe symptoms. Let the doctor monitor your blood pressure. Get other tests if the doctor recommends it. Ask your doctor about your diagnosis.