Causes of high blood pressure after childbirth

Causes

Hypertension after childbirth is a dangerous manifestation, since it can harm not only the woman in labor, but also the baby. The reasons for the increase in pressure indicators can be various factors that interact with each other.

1. The first and main cause of postpartum hypertension is neuropsychic stress. Childbirth is a severe stress for the female body, which leads to a disruption of the regulatory function of the nervous system, and this leads to sharp surges in pressure.
2. The unsatisfactory physical condition of the body provokes an increased load on the heart and blood vessels, which leads to an increase in blood pressure.
3. A hereditary predisposition can manifest itself in moments of weakness of the body, which is observed in the postpartum period.
4. Also prerequisites for the development of hypertension are smoking, alcohol consumption, excess weight, regular lack of sleep.
5. Hormonal imbalance in the body after childbirth is also a factor that increases blood pressure. Due to the excess of hormones, the vessels spasm. This increases their tone, increases peripheral resistance, which leads to a jump in pressure.

The causes of arterial hypertension also include the presence of chronic diseases in the mother, which in the postpartum period can go from remission to relapse. Such diseases include:

• pathology of the kidneys and their vessels (chronic pyelonephritis, renal prolapse, renal vascular stenosis, polycystic disease, renal tumors, glomerulonephritis, etc.);
• endocrine diseases (problems with the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, or pituitary gland);
• vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• cardiovascular diseases (angina pectoris, arrhythmia, atherosclerosis, heart failure and others);
• neuroses that provoke postpartum depression.

Very often, women in labor take medications, which on the list of side effects include increased blood pressure. These drugs include "Bromcriptine", which is aimed at reducing milk production by the mammary glands. By reducing lactation, medicinal substances affect pressure, increasing its indicators.

High pressure after childbirth, which can be caused by any of the above factors, can cause significant damage to the female body, provoking concomitant pathologies, as well as to the child who is directly related to the woman in labor due to breastfeeding. Therefore, with increased readings on the tonometer, you must immediately contact your doctor who will prescribe treatment for the newly-made mom.

When are the indicators back to normal?

High blood pressure after childbirth, in the case of normal indicators during pregnancy, can independently normalize in a period of 20 days - up to six months. But if the values ​​exceed the level of 140/100 mm Hg. Art., this requires immediate medical attention, as it can adversely affect the well-being of the mother and child.

Patients diagnosed with arterial hypertension are divided into several groups:

1. Women who have hypertensive manifestations before conception or in the first 20 weeks of the term.
2. Patients who have experienced symptoms of chronic hypertension before conception, during gestation and after childbirth.
3. Young mothers whose blood pressure began to rise after 20 weeks of pregnancy and continued after childbirth.

According to statistics, in 50% of women in group 3, hypertension goes away on its own within 40 days after childbirth. This is due to the lack of a predisposition to the disease, and the pressure surges themselves appear due to the increased load during the carrying of a child. Within a month after childbirth, the factors that allowed the pressure to rise completely disappear, and the body recovers on its own, while normalizing the blood pressure level. In other situations, hypertension does not tend to disappear on its own, so it requires treatment.

Dangers

High blood pressure poses a serious threat to both the health of the mother and the baby.

Hypertension is an increased voltage of intra-arterial blood flow, which provokes an increase in the load on the myocardium. After severe exhaustion during the period of bearing a child, the female body requires complete recovery. With increased blood pressure, the general condition of the female body does not improve or recover, but is further aggravated. This phenomenon contributes to the development of severe diseases of internal organs and systems, and loss of vision is also possible.

If measures are not taken in time to restore normal pressure, serious complications can develop in the body. Among them are pronounced:

• severe headache that cannot be tolerated. This phenomenon requires medical treatment, which affects the quality of breast milk and can harm the baby.
• loss of consciousness. High pressure in women in labor is provoked by a strong load on the heart, which can provoke partial or complete loss of consciousness.
• pulmonary edema.

High pressure in the systemic circulation causes malfunction of the pulmonary circulation, which leads to the lungs for oxygenation of the blood. An increase in pulmonary pressure can cause them to swell.

In a hassle-free environment, breastfeeding is the only source of nutrition for the infant. If the mother is suffering from hypertension, it affects the quality of breast milk. Violation of blood pressure does not allow to supply the mammary glands with blood in the required amount, which leads to an incomplete filling of milk with the required substances. This situation does not allow the baby to eat normally.

Medicines and breastfeeding

When determining an accurate diagnosis, the doctor prescribes hypotonic medications for the woman, which can negatively affect the quality of milk. But you should not categorically refuse to breastfeed your baby naturally. You just need to select medications that have a low level of effect on breast milk. These drugs include Dopegit, Dibazol, Verapamil.

"Dopegit"... The antihypertensive effect of the drug is expressed in its ability to reduce the frequency of myocardial contractions and minute blood volume. "Dopegit" reduces peripheral blood resistance, which contributes to a rapid decrease in pressure. The maximum effect of the drug after internal administration begins after 4-6 hours and lasts for 1-2 days. The appointment and the required dosage is performed under strict medical supervision. The drug is approved for use by pregnant women and during breastfeeding.

"Dibazol"... The drug has a strong vasodilator effect, which helps to lower blood pressure. Also "Dibazol" has an antispasmodic effect, which normalizes vascular tone. The therapeutic effect of the drug begins 30-60 minutes after oral administration and lasts for 2-3 hours.The drug can be prescribed to pregnant and breastfeeding women only by a qualified doctor.

"Verapamil"... The drug has a strong hypotonic, antianginal and antiarrhythmic effect. "Verapamil" has a beneficial effect on the work of the myocardium, preventing unpleasant symptoms in diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Its use during pregnancy or breastfeeding is allowed only if the expected benefit to the mother outweighs the risk of possible complications for the baby.

It should be borne in mind that taking medications that do not allow an increase in pressure should be carried out so that the moment of feeding does not coincide with the time of the maximum concentration of the drug in the mother's blood. Taking antihypertensive drugs should be performed immediately before breastfeeding. This will prevent the active substances from entering the bloodstream and harm the baby.

How to lower blood pressure without medication

To lower the pressure after childbirth, it is necessary to follow generally accepted recommendations for the successful recovery of the body. These rules will help not only to lower the level of blood pressure, but also to strengthen the general condition of the female body.

1. Normalization of the nervous system. To do this, you need to rest and experience good emotions. Relaxation includes a good night's sleep and hobbies. To relieve stress from severe overvoltage due to caring for the baby, the child's father and relatives should be involved for help. And devote the free time to hiking in the fresh air.
2. Smoking and alcohol consumption are absolutely prohibited.
3. You should not overeat. It is best to eat small meals often.
4. It is necessary to rationalize the menu, exclude foods that cause high blood pressure after childbirth. Avoid fried, fatty, very spicy and salty, sweet flour products, smoked meats and spices, carbonated water and coffee. To normalize blood pressure, you can increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, oatmeal or buckwheat porridge in the diet, that is, enrich the menu with foods with a high capacity of potassium, magnesium and vitamin C.
5. You need to consume 2-3 liters. liquids per day for a complete establishment of the drinking regime.
6. Exhausting physical activities aimed at losing weight after childbirth should be abandoned. Such a restoration of the figure can be fraught with an effect on the general condition of the body.
7. Doctors recommend avoiding possible rush of blood to the head. This happens with sharp inclinations. Therefore, even when changing shoes, it is better to ask loved ones for help.
8. Breathing should be monitored. Inhales and exhales should be short.

To quickly get rid of hypertensive manifestations, the procedure for warming the extremities, which can be carried out at home, works well. To do this, put a heating pad on your shins, and warm baths with the addition of mustard powder should be made for the arms and legs.

It is important to understand that the condition of the baby depends on the health of the mother. Therefore, at the slightest unpleasant symptoms that can cause hypertension or concomitant diseases, you should contact a specialized physician to prescribe treatment.

Self-medication can cause bad complications in the postpartum period and damage the newborn.