The Dangers of Toxemia

Toxemia is a very serious condition that affects the blood pressure in a woman during her pregnancy. This condition is also called PIH or Pregnancy Induced Hypertension and another name for it is Preeclampsia. Toxemia causes the blood pressure to elevate at a very quick rate. If it is not treated or monitored by a doctor, the results can be fatal for both the mother and her unborn child.

Normally, Toxemia affects the first pregnancy but for me it was my third. There are not any specific reasons or causes that are known for Toxemia and the only cure for it is giving birth. This condition can appear suddenly and manifest itself through many symptoms. Retaining fluid during pregnancy is normal but too much can lead to serious conditions, such as Toxemia.

When too much protein is in the urine this is a definite sign that PIH or Toxemia is present. The retained fluid is not able to be released through the urine and gets trapped in the body. Therefore, everything begins to swell, which is another sign. As the fluid is trapped in the body it does not have anywhere to go, so it starts attacking everything in its way. This is when blood pressure increases and continues to climb.

Once Toxemia is discovered, the doctor will give you strict instructions and you will have to follow them, to the tee. Usually, the doctor will put the woman on bed rest, unless it is more severe like mine was. Many symptoms had surfaced in my body and I had this deep knowing that something was wrong.

I told my doctor I had not been feeling well, having pains in my stomach and was swelling in a way that was different than the other two pregnancies. When I was in the beginning of my eighth month being barely 32 weeks into the pregnancy, I went for my check up on Valentines Day in 2002.

The nurse came in to check my blood pressure and the reading was high, so she made me lie down and waited a few minutes to check it again. This time it was a bit higher, so she told the doctor and he admitted me into the hospital right away. I was in the hospital for nine days unable to move.

I had to stay on my side hooked up to the fetal monitor, IV and blood pressure cuff, which was set to check my blood pressure automatically every few minutes. Even though I had close and continual monitoring, the Toxemia worsened, so my doctor induced labor, as it was a matter of my life or death.

Toxemia is a very serious condition that can be very harmful to the woman's body and her unborn child, if it is not caught in time. The longer it goes undetected, the more danger the woman is of her organs being affected or damaged. Toxemia can cause kidney or liver failure, heart problems and seizures.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of paying close attention to any warning signs that may appear to be nothing or normal. A woman knows her own body more than anyone else, so if there are any problems, pains or symptoms she may be experiencing during her pregnancy, she should discuss each one in detail with her doctor right away.