During pregnancy, blood pressure is monitored more closely, as its possible fluctuations can have a direct impact on fetal development. However, blood pressure can sometimes decrease as a result of fatigue or other intrinsic causes, causing low blood pressure during pregnancy.
Therefore, throughout this article, you will learn more about the low blood pressure during pregnancy. Follow along to learn more about the subject right now!
First of all, what is hypotension?
We speak of hypotension when the pressure exerted by the blood on the artery walls is lower than normal. We speak of hypotension when the maximum (first digit of blood pressure) is less than 9 mm Hg in adults.
Therefore, this is the exact opposite of high blood pressure. This phenomenon can occur from time to time at any age in life. In most cases, the cause is unknown and the hypotension crisis does not pose a health risk.
However, while low blood pressure is not a disease in itself, it can be a manifestation of various pathologies, such as heart failure or adrenal insufficiency.
However, there are many other possible causes, such as dehydration, taking certain medications (antidepressants, diuretics in particular), drinking alcohol or even very significant weight loss.
Why does blood pressure drop during pregnancy?
During the first trimester, blood pressure tends to decrease naturally in pregnant women.
In fact, the circulatory system is entirely directed towards the placenta and the fetus, while significant hormonal changes at this stage cause dilation of the arteries and veins. Results: blood pressure drops slightly.
This may explain the feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness that pregnant women may experience. But once the second trimester begins, tension should return to normal.
It will not undergo further modifications until the beginning of the third trimester, during which cases of low blood pressure during pregnancy are usually revealed.
How to detect low blood pressure during pregnancy?
A drop in blood pressure is often accompanied by many symptoms, the severity of which can vary from woman to woman:
- Headache
- Increased fatigue,
- Cold sweats,
- Hearing buzzing,
- Vision disorders,
- Paleness of the face,
- A lower heart rate.
If you experience these clinical signs, you should lie down with your legs raised so that they are higher than the rest of your body.
This position facilitates blood flow to the brain and restores normal blood pressure more quickly. This type of precaution is usually enough to resolve a one-off drop in blood pressure.
Focus on orthostatic hypotension
We speak of orthostatic hypotension when the drop in blood pressure is caused by a certain posture. This phenomenon reveals an abnormality in the reflex, allowing blood pressure to adapt to changes in position.
This specific type of hypotension is usually seen when a person moves too abruptly from a lying down to a standing position or after sitting for a long time.
While many individuals can be affected by this disorder, orthostatic hypotension also affects pregnant women whose blood pressure is already weakened by various hormonal changes.
Therefore, it is advisable to avoid positions that promote blood stagnation in the lower limbs, impairing cerebral blood flow.
What about hypertension during pregnancy?
Blood pressure monitoring also aims to monitor a possible increase in voltage. We talk about hypertension when the pregnant woman exceeds the 14/9 measurement.
Almost 101% of pregnant women would experience this phenomenon. These include pregnant women who suffered from hypertension before pregnancy and those who have symptoms of preeclampsia.
In all cases, high blood pressure during pregnancy usually requires hospitalization to check that the fetus is doing well. While most women can go home with advice to rest, some women need to be monitored more closely.
What is preeclampsia?
Characterized by an increase in blood pressure and the presence of proteins in the urine, pre-eclampsia is an obstetric pathology that must be taken seriously, as its consequences can be significant for both mother and baby.
In short, it can occur after twenty weeks of amenorrhea and persist for six weeks after delivery.
The diagnosis of preeclampsia necessarily requires medical care of the future mother in a hospital setting.
In fact, this pregnancy disease can lead to serious complications: convulsions, cerebral hemorrhage, kidney failure, placental abruption…
The only effective treatment for preeclampsia is delivery! But when hypertension starts very early, a therapeutic strategy must be put in place to delay delivery.
It usually remains stable during the first three months, decreases in the second trimester and returns to normal in the third. These variations are due to the body's natural mechanisms of adaptation to pregnancy.
In fact, normally, the systolic pressure (the top number) of a healthy adult is between 100 and 140 and the diastolic pressure is between 70 and 95 mmHg.
A drop in blood pressure during pregnancy is normal. This is because:
- Pregnancy hormones weaken blood vessels.
- In addition, the heart is more stressed and a lot of blood circulates in the body. Much of this blood is destined for the placenta.
