What are the Symptoms of Preeclampsia?

Question: What are the Symptoms of Preeclampsia?

Answer: Because preeclampsia is a fairly complicated condition, there is no single, unique symptom profile, so the symptoms of preeclampsia tend to vary from person to person. An individual's medical history, pregnancy history, and even diet and activity level can change the way preeclampsia shows itself.

To add another level of complexity, many of the common symptoms associated with preeclampsia are also associated with normal pregnancy. This makes diagnosis very difficult, but in a way, this makes sense, because high blood pressure in general tends to be asymptomatic.

In a broad sense, symptoms often associated with preeclampsia include:

• Swelling in the hands, wrists, legs, or ankles
• Sudden weight gain
• Persistent headache
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Visual disturbances (blurry vision and/or dark spots in the visual field)
• Confusion, anxiety, or other mental status changes
• Abdominal pain (especially right upper quadrant pain)

Most cases of preeclampsia are diagnosed in the doctor's office independent of these symptoms. Typically, the first sign is elevated blood pressure. Once the elevated blood pressure is detected, a urine sample is usually collected and analyzed to see if it contains protein. Protein in the urine is a clear sign of preeclampsia, and many doctors advise that urine be checked for protein at every prenatal visit, regardless of blood pressure.

During physical exam, hyperactive reflexes are found. While not found in every case, these elevated reflex responses are common enough that doctors look for them when they're suspicious that a patient may have preeclampsia. In some cases, your doctor may ask for one or more blood samples to check that your liver and kidneys are functioning normally. Abnormal results in these blood tests are a sign of more severe preeclampsia.

Learn More About Preeclampsia:
What is Preeclampsia?
What are the Symptoms of Preeclampsia?
Are there Different Kinds of Preeclampsia?
Is Preeclampsia Dangerous?
How is Preeclampsia Treated?