Causes And Symptoms Of Eclampsia

Eclampsia Overview

The signs and  symptoms of eclampsia usually appear during pregnancy as a condition known as preeclampsia, the condition can go undetected until it develops into eclampsia. This can create additional complications during pregnancy.

What is Eclampsia?

This condition only occurs during pregnancy and causes seizures, usually late in the pregnancy. It is a rare condition, affecting 1 in every 2,000-3,000 pregnancies every year.

The condition follows a high blood pressure (hypertension) disorder called preeclampsia. In preeclampsia, high blood pressure levels in the mother reduce the supply of blood to the fetus. This can mean that the fetus does not receive as much oxygen and nutrients as it should.

Many of the pregnancies affected by eclampsia or preeclampsia are first pregnancies. Around 70 percent of cases in the United States are in first-time pregnancies.

While eclampsia can be fatal if untreated, it is very rare for pregnant women to die from the condition in developed countries.

Globally, eclampsia accounts for approximately 14 percent of maternal deaths. In the majority of cases, preeclampsia symptoms are mild and do not require any intervention other than monitoring and possibly diet change.

Preeclampsia vs. Eclampsia

Eclampsia is the final stage of preeclampsia and requires immediate medical attention. Most cases are detected early in the pregnancy before they can progress to eclampsia.

While there is no cure for preeclampsia, doctors will often prescribe medications to lower blood pressure or anticonvulsant medications to prevent seizures.

With both preeclampsia and eclampsia, the only cure is for the affected mother to give birth.

Mild cases of preeclampsia can be monitored throughout pregnancy to determine whether or not it is safe to let the pregnancy go to term.

More severe cases might require immediate intervention, often in the form of induction or cesarean delivery. Most commonly, a cesarean delivery will be required to prevent the rise in blood pressure that is often seen during childbirth.

Associated Conditions

Eclampsia does have some associated conditions that can either present as symptoms or stand-alone conditions. These conditions include:

• Edema: Tissue swelling caused by the buildup of fluid in the tissues. This usually presents as swelling in the extremities.
• Pulmonary edema: Causes the same fluid buildup in the lungs, which can lead to difficulty breathing.
• Headache: Possibly caused by the high blood pressure caused by eclampsia.
• Gestational diabetes: Diabetes symptoms caused by pregnancy, which can cause the baby to gain excessive weight during gestation.

Gestational diabetes can be treated with a combination of diet changes and medication. As stated before, each case of eclampsia is different. People could develop any of these symptoms or none at all.

Causes of Eclampsia

Researchers have not yet discovered a definitive cause for the condition. Each case of eclampsia is unique, and the pregnant woman may share few or no characteristics with other women who develop the condition.

Most of the recent studies have focused on determining the risk factors for preeclampsia early in pregnancy to prevent or predict the development of the condition later on.

Signs and Symptoms of Eclampsia

Symptoms of eclampsia can present at any time during pregnancy. There may also be very few symptoms, leading to a woman developing eclampsia without it being detected by medical professionals.

The most common symptoms of preeclampsia include:

• Excessive weight gain during pregnancy, more than 2 pounds per week
• Severe headaches
• Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain
  
• swelling of hands, feet, and face

If preeclampsia develops into eclampsia, symptoms may also include:

• muscle pain
• seizures

There is no cure for preeclampsia except delivery of the baby. If it’s caught early enough, symptoms can often be managed with medicine and bed rest to keep high blood pressure down. Antiseizure medications can also be used to prevent a seizure from occurring in the event that severe preeclampsia progresses to eclampsia.

When to Seek Medical Help?

While pregnant women should be seeing a doctor regularly for prenatal care, they should schedule an appointment immediately if any symptoms of preeclampsia appear.

Additionally, anyone who experiences bleeding, severe headaches, or reduced fetal movement, should see their care provider as soon as possible.

During regular prenatal appointments, the doctor will also do blood and urine tests to look for:

• High blood pressure
• Liver function
• Protein in the urine (proteinuria)

The presence of elevated protein levels in urine can be an early indicator of preeclampsia, as can decreased renal function.

Depending on the severity of the symptoms, the doctor might prescribe diet changes, bed rest, or medications to lower blood pressure and prevent seizures.

Diagnosis of Eclampsia

An Obstetrician will diagnose eclampsia based on the presence of a seizure. They will perform an exam, blood work and regular blood pressure monitoring. They also order urine tests to look for increased protein in the urine.

• Blood tests: Blood tests may show abnormal factors like red blood cell count or platelet count.
• Urine tests: Urine tests typically show large amounts of protein in your urine.
• Creatinine tests: Creatinine is a waste product that’s typically filtered out of your blood by your kidneys. Abnormally high levels of creatinine could be a sign of kidney failure.

Your healthcare provider will monitor the fetus and check its heart rate, movement, size and other factors through ultrasound to ensure it’s tolerating pregnancy well.

Treatment of Eclampsia

In the past, women dealing with the complications of preeclampsia have been directed by health experts to take low-dose aspirin daily after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The only way to cure the symptoms of eclampsia is to deliver the baby. Allowing the pregnancy to continue while the mother has eclampsia can result in complications.

In most cases, the symptoms of eclampsia resolve themselves within 6 weeks after the baby is born. In rare cases, there can be permanent damage to vital organs, which is why it is so important for women to keep their care provider informed of their symptoms.

Complications from Eclampsia

Patients with eclampsia are at higher risk for:

• Blood clotting tissues
• Death
• Placental abruption
• Preterm labor
• Stroke
• Stillbirth

Prevention of Eclampsia

Getting treatment for preeclampsia can reduce your risk of developing eclampsia. Getting prompt medical care, attending all your prenatal appointments and following a healthy lifestyle can also help reduce your risk.

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