Low blood pressure during pregnancy: causes, symptoms, and how to overcome them

During the pregnancy phase, a woman's body undergoes many changes. Not only high blood pressure (hypertension), but during pregnancy you can also experience low blood pressure (tension). This condition cannot be taken lightly because it is as dangerous as hypertension during pregnancy. The following is a complete explanation of low blood pressure during pregnancy.

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What is normal blood pressure during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, normal blood pressure is a sign of the health of both the mother and the fetus.

Doctors will use a number scale to help diagnose causes or possible complications of low blood pressure during pregnancy.

According to the American Heart Association, blood pressure is said to be healthy or normal during pregnancy when it shows a number below 120/80 mmHG.

Meanwhile, the doctor will diagnose a pregnant woman with low blood pressure if after a blood pressure examination the pregnant woman shows the number 90/60 mmHG.

Symptoms of low blood pressure during pregnancy

The symptoms of low blood pressure during pregnancy are similar to those of a person who is not pregnant.

The most common symptoms of low blood pressure in pregnancy are:

• Dizzy
• Nausea
• Keliyengan (head like spinning)
• Fainting

Symptoms arm tends to get worse when pregnant women stand up suddenly from a lying or sitting position.

Low blood pressure during pregnancy usually does not cause severe symptoms that can cause shock.

However, in patients with sepsis or infectious complications, a drastic drop in blood pressure can cause organ damage.

Some of the possible organ damage is stroke, kidney failure, and heart attack.

The cause of low blood pressure during pregnancy

Basically, pregnancy causes many changes in a woman's body, including the rise and fall of blood pressure.

Therefore, low blood pressure during pregnancy is actually a normal occurrence.

Many pregnant women experience this condition, especially in the first and second trimester of pregnancy.

Quoting from Narayana Health, the average pregnant woman experiences low tension during pregnancy when she reaches 24 weeks of age.

This occurs due to expanded blood circulation during pregnancy and hormonal changes. Both cause blood vessels to dilate and blood pressure to drop.

Although this is common, there are several other factors that also cause low blood pressure during pregnancy. These factors include:

Anemia

This condition of lack of red blood is one of the causes of low blood pressure during pregnancy.

Please note that low blood pressure is not necessarily anemia, but anemia is certainly low blood pressure.

If pregnant women have low blood pressure during pregnancy due to anemia, this condition can lead to more serious problems, namely:

• Undeveloped fetus (IUGR)
• Babies are born prematurely
• Low birth weight (LBW)

Severe anemia in pregnant women can cause heart and brain damage, and even death.

Dehydration

Low blood pressure during pregnancy can also be caused by a body that is dehydrated or hydrated.

Quoting from Intermountain Healthcare, the recommended fluid requirement for pregnant women is 2300 ml per day. This is equivalent to 8-12 glasses per day.

Every day, the water content in the body decreases through sweat, urine and feces.

In addition, the mother also has to share water needs with the fetus.

Lack of body fluids, can interfere with salt, mineral levels, and fetal development in each trimester of pregnancy.

Malnutrition

This health condition is not only experienced by children, but also adults, including pregnant women.

Low blood pressure during pregnancy can be caused by a lack of nutrients in the body.

The reason is that in addition to fulfilling your own needs, you also need to support fetal development.

You need to eat healthy foods during pregnancy, such as fruit, vegetables, beef or chicken to meet nutritional needs.

Heart problems

Although low blood pressure during pregnancy is common, this condition can be a sign of heart problems.

Quoting from the American Heart Association, there are heart problems that can cause low blood pressure, namely:

• Weak heartbeat (bradycardia)
• Heart valve problems
• Heart failure

This heart problem makes it unable to drain enough blood to meet the needs of pregnant women and the fetus.

In addition to the four health conditions above, low blood pressure for pregnant women is also caused by bad habits, such as:

• Too long lying in bed.
• Stand up too quickly from a sitting position.
• Soaking in hot water for too long.
• Use of certain drugs.

Not only that, very low blood pressure can also be a sign of complications in early pregnancy, such as an ectopic pregnancy.

The impact of low blood pressure during pregnancy on infants

One of the main risks to fear if you have low blood pressure during pregnancy is falling due to fainting.

The reason is, some women with low tension who stand up too quickly after a long sitting or lying down often experience it arm until passed out.

For pregnant women, this is certainly dangerous. Besides being able to injure themselves when they fall, pregnant women are also at risk of bleeding which can cause problems with their internal organs.

In severe cases, blood pressure too low can lead to shock or organ damage, which poses a risk to the baby's health.

How to deal with low blood pressure during pregnancy

In many cases, blood pressure will return to normal when entering the third trimester of pregnancy.

Treatment of low blood pressure during pregnancy depends on a medical history and medical condition.

However, pregnant women can try some of these simple steps to reduce symptoms:

• Sit or lie down if you feel arm , to avoid falling.
• Avoid standing up too quickly from a sitting or lying position.
• Lie on the left side of the body, to increase blood flow to the heart.
• Wear loose clothing during pregnancy.
• Drink 1500-2300 ml of water per day.
• Eating nutritious and highly nutritious foods during pregnancy.

You can consult a doctor for more details.

When to see a doctor

Pregnant women should get emergency treatment immediately if they experience dizziness or fainting accompanied by serious symptoms such as:

• Bleeding during pregnancy
• Severe headache
• Vision changes or blurred vision.
• Chest pain
• Hard to breathe
• Limp or numbness, especially on one side of the body.

If you experience the above, consult a doctor immediately.