Symptoms and Complications
Technically, preeclampsia is mild if blood pressure is over 140/90 mm Hg (see our article, "High Blood Pressure"), or if it rises by more than a certain amount, and there is protein in the urine or swelling of the hands, ankles, and feet. Severe preeclampsia is diagnosed when blood pressure is over 150/110 mm Hg, and there is severe swelling, plus abdominal pain or visual problems.
Visual problems may occur because high blood pressure stresses the retina, pushing it forward. In extreme cases, this can lead to retinal detachment and possibly blindness.
With preeclampsia, a woman's reflexes become unusually active. Increasing blood pressure will lead to increasing hyperreflexia (overactive reflexes), until eventually uncontrollable seizures result.
Severe complications of preeclampsia include:
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eclampsia - potentially fatal seizures caused by high intracranial (in the head) blood pressure
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cerebral (brain) hemorrhage due to burst blood vessels in the brain (the main cause of maternal death)
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retinal detachment, which may lead to blindness
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ruptured liver
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abruptio placentae - the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus and internal bleeding occurs where it had been attached. The bleeding may be life threatening to both the mother and the fetus. Abruptio placentae may also cause kidney failure in the mother.
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HELLP syndrome - this stands for Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelet count. Hemolysis is destruction of red blood cells in the liver. It's a normal bodily function, but when it speeds up, as in HELLP syndrome, the cells are killed faster than they can be replaced and anemia is the result. Elevated liver enzymes are a sign of an inflamed or overactive liver. Platelets are tiny blood components largely responsible for clotting blood. Any time that the blood is low in clotting agents (such as platelets), the risk of hemorrhage (bleeding) increases, especially in the brain.