Eclampsia - is the most dangerous complication of preeclampsia; it is a potentially fatal syndrome characterized by seizures, often associated with mental confusion, visual deficits, and coma.
Eclampsia usually develops during or after the 20th week of pregnancy. It is believed that most pregnant women have the first signs of eclampsia during the third trimester of pregnancy: in 80% of women, cramps occur during childbirth or in the first 48 hours after giving birth. However, individual cases of eclampsia were diagnosed 23 days or even 20 weeks after the birth of the baby. So in a sense, eclampsia can be compared to a time bomb.
Causes of eclampsia
The exact cause of eclampsia has not yet been found. The undoubted and undeniable fact is that eclampsia is the result of preeclampsia. The effects of the environment and genetic factors also increase the risk of eclampsia in pregnant women. What are the main risk factors , involved in the degeneration of preeclampsia? These are: :
- endocrine disorders;
- unhealthy diet (lack of food or overeating, excess sodium in the diet);
- changes in the ability of blood coagulation;
- an increase in free fatty acids;
- increased insulin;
- vascular endothelial damage;
- unfavorable outcome of a previous pregnancy;
- age over 35 years;
- infections history of childbirth;
- unfavorable outcome of a previous pregnancy.
. Symptoms of eclampsia
The main symptoms are convulsions, confusion, blurred vision, epigastric pain, nausea, headache, and vomiting. The fetus experiences fetal distress, placental abruption, and placental bleeding.
Diagnosis of eclampsia
Diagnostic strategies for eclampsia include tests to determine renal and hepatic function, blood coagulation analysis, blood and urine tests, and ultrasound.
Therapy of eclampsia
Drugs used in treatment aimed at preventing the state of eclampsia. These are antihypertensive drugs, anticonvulsants, antiplatelet agents, steroids. A diet rich in antioxidants is highly recommended.
