About 2-3 out of 100 women suffer from high blood pressure after giving birth. Moreover, this phenomenon may appear for the first time and not disturb during pregnancy. Hypertension may have a one-time character. However, if an increase in pressure is noted within a few days after childbirth, you must consult a doctor. Moreover, without prior consultation, women who are breast-feeding a baby are not recommended to take any medications.
How to determine the norm
The norm is a condition in which the pressure adheres to the mark of 120/80. This figure is universally recognized in medical practice, which are equal in the measurement. There is also such a thing as an individual norm. That is, a woman can experience stable pressure at a level of 110/70 during her life, while she feels good. But as these numbers increase slightly, a sharp headache, nausea, and dizziness occur. Therefore, when it comes to determining the norm, it is necessary to take into account the individual parameters of a woman, including age, weight, and the presence of chronic diseases.
Causes of occurrence
There are several reasons for high blood pressure after childbirth, which may be related or may occur separately. It's no secret that the process of giving birth to a woman is a colossal neuropsychic load for a woman. A sharp change in the regime of the day, the emergence of new responsibilities will certainly be accompanied by excitement, and in some cases lead to depression. The heart and blood vessels also experience increased stress. It is not surprising that the female body reacts to this with surges of pressure, in particular with its increase.
In the first days after mother and child are discharged from the hospital, the doctor visits them at home and analyzes the likelihood of developing hereditary diseases. It is important to know whether there have been cases of hypertension in close relatives. It often happens that such an unpleasant disease is inherited. Therefore, it is better, even before delivery, to be prepared for the fact that there may be a need to solve problems with high blood pressure without medical intervention.
Another reason that leads to high pressure after childbirth is the presence of bad habits, such as smoking, alcohol abuse. It is worth abandoning them even at the stage of pregnancy planning in order to eliminate the risk of developing not only pathologies of the fetal development, but also a deterioration in the general well-being of the woman.
If there are problems with overweight, chronic untreated diseases (kidney, endocrine, nervous, cardiovascular system), then we can also talk about the increased risk of developing hypertension. It is not superfluous to mention the age of the mother, who also makes a certain contribution. The older the woman, the higher the risks for complications in the postpartum period. It is also extremely important to find time to restore strength, get enough sleep, be in the fresh air.
Unpleasant consequences of hypertension
High pressure after childbirth causes discomfort in an already tense environment. This condition can drag on for a period of a month to six months. This is due to the fact that those women who are prone to depression have low stress resistance, more often than others undergo nervous stress. Due to a deviation from the normal state, a woman may experience severe headache, up to loss of consciousness. If this happens several times, do not hesitate, it is better to seek help from a specialist.
One of the most difficult adverse reactions is pulmonary edema, which may not be immediately recognized. Therefore, when seeking advice from a doctor, it is important to explain what symptoms are disturbing the woman, to focus on whether the baby is breastfeeding. This affects the treatment regimen and duration. In addition to the unpleasant consequences listed above, one should not forget that a woman who suffers from hypertension should not be left unattended. It may happen that she faints and there is no one to help her, take care of the child.
Deviation from the norm, what to do?
If a woman notes high pressure after childbirth as a one-time phenomenon that does not bother her, then you should not panic. Usually her well-being improves after some time, with the normalization of the daily regimen and sleep. But what to do when hypertension torments day after day? You should not cope with high blood pressure after childbirth alone. Forums can be full of different tips, as well as offers to take a pill that will solve all the problems at a time.
The fact is that most drugs negatively affect lactation and can significantly reduce the flow of breast milk. However, if the baby is breast-fed, this item can be skipped, as the benefits for the mother exceed the harm to the baby. But still consult with a specialist in advance.
Drug treatment
There are several ways to reduce high blood pressure after childbirth, what if mother is breastfeeding? Not all medications can help her with the condition that they will be harmless for breastfeeding. Therefore, before grabbing the usual drugs for hypertension from the first-aid kit, it is better to consult a doctor.
From the list that doctors offer as treatment, we can distinguish drugs that:
- They do not have a pronounced effect on lactation.
- They are used only on the understanding that there will be more benefit for the mother than harm for the child.
Only a specialist can evaluate such risks, based on a clear understanding of the cause of hypertension. Many practitioners agree that the increased pressure after childbirth can be not only one-time, but also permanent, which determines the treatment regimen. In most cases, it’s not a case of any particular disease and is treated by normalizing the sleep and nutrition regimen, and the sufficient production of trace elements and vitamins.
"Dopegit"
If it is necessary to reduce the pressure, it is possible to use a drug such as Dopegit. It reduces the intensity of myocardial contraction and acts throughout the day after the last dose. The maximum concentration in the blood is determined after 4-6 hours, which is felt as a significant improvement in overall well-being. It is advisable to take the drug before breastfeeding, so that less ingredients of the drug get into the milk.
The dosage should be selected by the doctor, according to the instructions, the frequency of administration per day is no more than 3, 2-3 times a day, 250 mg each. "Dopegit" is excreted in breast milk, 70% of the active components are excreted by the kidneys.
Dibazole
Much faster, you can get an effect in terms of reducing high blood pressure if the doctor prescribed Dibazole in the form of injections. The manufacturer offers the drug also in the form of tablets. Its pharmacokinetics is based on the relaxation of the bronchial muscle, stimulation of the spinal cord, the elimination of spasms. The drug helps to dilate blood vessels and improves the functioning of the immune system.
The main component of bendazole helps the body produce antiviral proteins that protect against infections and viruses. As a result of taking the drug, after half an hour you can feel the improvement. The therapeutic effect lasts for the next three hours. If we talk about the use of the drug in the form of injections, then to improve its action it is recommended to jointly use "Papaverine".
"Dopanol"
Another drug produced in the form of tablets, which has no contraindications for use during lactation to women in the postpartum period, is Dopanol. The main indication for use is considered arterial hypertension. The use of this drug also has a lasting effect, up to a day. The maximum concentration in the blood is determined 2-6 hours after taking the pill.
Medical practice allows the appointment of this drug if high blood pressure persists after childbirth. However, it is worth noting that Dopanol has a sedative effect. The intensity and duration of administration are selected based on the individual parameters of the patient.
Folk methods
It happens that it is urgent to find the answer to the question of why there is high blood pressure after childbirth, and there is no way to seek answers from the doctor. Then it remains to resort to tried and tested traditional medicine. Naturally, it is worth resorting to them in extreme cases and only symptomatically, and not constantly. One of the simplest methods of treatment is a cranberry decoction. It is prepared as follows:
- 1 tbsp. berries;
- 0.5 tbsp. boiling water;
- 5 tsp semolina;
- sugar or honey to taste.
Squeeze the juice from the pure berries, and pour the remaining cake with boiling water and put on fire for 5 minutes. Then strain through a sieve and put the broth on the stove again. Add semolina, simmer for 10 minutes. Then remove from the stove and cool, wipe with a blender, adding squeezed cranberry juice to the pulp. The finished product is used three times a day for 1 tbsp. l before eating.
A less laborious, but also effective recipe is the use of beetroot juice. If you mix it with the juice of other vegetables, then the benefits will only increase. The recommended dose of 0.5 tbsp. per day, 3 times, regardless of the meal time.
Is it possible to do without intervention?
The main causes of high blood pressure after childbirth and treatment, as a further action, should be regulated by the attending physician. Only by collecting a detailed analysis and conducting a medical examination of a woman can any treatment be prescribed. Practice shows that it is possible and not at all to take any obvious measures to eliminate high blood pressure only if it was of a one-time nature and does not cause a woman great discomfort. In all other cases, it is necessary to pass general tests to determine the state of health. This will avoid a recurrence or worsening of the clinical picture and help to choose the right treatment regimen.