Possible consequences
A pure high blood pressure in pregnancy usually has no other consequences for the mother than a high blood pressure that occurs independently of pregnancy. Symptoms such as headaches, ringing in the ears and dizziness may occur. In contrast to the permanently existing high blood pressure in non-pregnant women, the risks of consequential damages, which often occur only after years of illness, are low.
High blood pressure during pregnancy can also be more severe and can develop into the clinical picture of so-called pre-eclampsia. Here, circulatory disorders of various organs can occur. The maximum form of the disease is eclampsia, where the expectant mother has seizures.
This clinical picture is extremely dangerous for mother and child and requires close medical supervision. For this reason, the occurrence of headaches, buzzing in the ears and dizziness during pregnancy is a symptom that should be taken into account and clarified by a doctor. Pure gestational hypertension usually has no relevant effects on the unborn child.
However, it is not uncommon for pure high blood pressure to develop into a more severe form, the so-called pre-eclampsia (also known as pregnancy poisoning in the vernacular). Diagnostically, this can be recognised by an increased protein excretion in the urine. Pre-eclampsia can lead to circulatory problems in various organs of the mother.
If the placenta is affected, this can lead to a reduced supply of blood to the unborn child. This can lead to growth retardation and, in the worst case, to the death of the child. By definition, pregnancy hypertension occurs in a period that extends from the completed 20th week of pregnancy to the 12th week after birth.
High blood pressure that persists after birth is therefore no longer referred to as pregnancy hypertension, but as hypertension independent of pregnancy. For most women who suffer from high blood pressure during pregnancy, the blood pressure returns to normal after the birth, but often not until a few weeks after the birth.
