Differences between Eclampsia and Preeclampsia

I'm sure you've heard these terms more times than you remember right now, but maybe you've never known for sure. the differences that exist between one term and another, do not worry because it is something very common. Today I want to help you identify these two diseases so that as of today you will be able to identify what each one is.

What you may know is that both terms occur or can occur during pregnancy and depending on the degree, can put both mother and baby at risk of death. So neither of these two diseases is to be taken as a joke, they are two very serious diseases.

What is preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is the presence of high blood pressure and protein in the urine that can begin to develop after the 20th week of pregnancy. The only way to cure and overcome this disease is to give birth to the baby, but if this has to happen too soon, the baby will have to be in the incubator with complete rest and a thorough medical control. Labor would be induced as much as possible. From preeclampsia it can progress to eclampsia, By having the pre in front of the term, it is already understood that it can go before.

What is eclampsia?

Eclampsia is the seizure occurrence is a pregnant woman, something that can also happen after the 20th week of pregnancy. As in pre-eclampsia, labor must be induced since both mother and baby are at risk of death.

There is no preventive method for these diseases, but it is very important that all women undergo all prenatal controls, which will allow a timely diagnosis and treatment to try to prevent (although if it has to appear it will do the same) pre-eclampsia, to avoid eclampsia from occurring.

But below I want to detail a little more about what each of these diseases is about because they are something that women should take very seriously.

Signs and Symptoms of Preeclampsia

Doctors emphasize the fact that pregnant women should always be vigilant and call immediately in any emergency situation or any strange symptoms they observe. Something that seems strange to us should never be normalized, you will have to call the doctor immediately for the following symptoms of pre-eclampsia:

• Sudden swelling of hands, face and feet
• Severe pain in the upper abdominal region
• Severe headaches that don't go away even if your doctor has prescribed safe pain medication for your pregnancy.
• Blurred vision or appearance of dark spots in vision
• Vomiting

If you detect that you may have pre-eclampsia in the early stages, you will have to see your doctor immediately so that it can be treated as effectively as possible because if it is detected early it can be prevented so that it does not go to more.

Signs and symptoms of eclampsia

The characteristic symptoms of eclampsia are seizures. The rest of the signs and symptoms are more or less the same as preeclampsia, although it can vary depending on the degree of involvement. Here is a list of the symptoms that can develop in pregnant women who have pre-eclampsia and develop eclampsia:

• Increased high blood pressure
• Increased amount of protein in the urine
• Abdominal pain
• Cortical blindness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Muscle pains
• Loss of consciousness

Causes of preeclampsia

The exact causes of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are unknown, but there are certain factors that can be causative or triggers, including:

• La poor blood circulation towards the uterus
• Damaged blood vessels
• Nutrient deficient diet
• Immune system problems

Causes of eclampsia

Eclampsia is marked by the occurrence of seizures, and has factors similar to preeclampsia, although other factors include:

• La obesity
• Mothers with preeclampsia
• Inheritance
• Bad nutrition
• Central nervous system with problems
• Neurological problems

Risk factors for both diseases

Preeclampsia and eclampsia can attack women who conceive at an early age or over 40 years. Although there may be other risk factors such as:

• Genetics
• First pregnancy
• New partners for every pregnancy
• Multiple pregnancies
• Obesity
• Diabetes and gestational diabetes
• Long interval between one pregnancy and another
• The risk of developing eclampsia is higher in nulliparous women (without previous pregnancies) than in those who have already had children.
• Overweight

Can preeclampsia and eclampsia be treated?

Like all diseases, the best cure or treatment for a disease is prevention. That is why the treatment of pre-eclampsia is aimed primarily at preventing the development of eclampsia. Therefore it is necessary that the baby is born as soon as possible to save his life even if he has to be in the incubator for as long as necessary. However, if the pregnant woman contracts one or another disease in the early stages of pregnancy, delivering the baby early may not be the best option.

If the pre-eclampsia is mild, then the doctor may prescribe medication to lower blood pressure, and complete bed rest is recommended. The pregnant woman can even stay in the hospital admitted to be able to do an exhaustive monitoring of her blood pressure and to be able to verify that both the pregnant woman and her baby may be out of danger.

If the preeclampsia is too severe and the baby cannot be delivered, then prescribe corticosteroids to the pregnant woman so that the function of platelets improves and that your pregnancy can be successful.

In the case of eclampsia, it is usually treated with magnesium sulfate which appears to be effective, and is also safe for the mother and baby. If the medications fail to bring the blood pressure under control and the baby is in fetal distress, the delivery will have to be safely accelerated, but if the conditions are not suitable to do so and the baby's lungs are not mature enough, then the pregnant mother will have to be prescribed steroids to improve your condition.

In the event that there is no improvement, it will be the role of the doctor to find the best solution for the specific case. But if you feel strange or with any symptoms that are not normal, do not hesitate for a second to go to the doctor.