How is Toxemia treated?
Treatment depends on how close you are to your due date. If you are close to your due date, and your baby is developed enough, your health care provider will probably want to deliver your baby as soon as possible, which is the only real treatment.
If you have mild toxemia and your baby has not reached full development your doctor will probably recommend you to do the following:
*rest
*lying on your left side to take the weight of the baby off your major blood vessels
*increase prenatal check ups
*consume less salt
*drink eight glasses of water a day
If you have severe toxemia your doctor may try to treat you with blood pressure medication until you are far enough along to deliver safely. Untreated preeclampsia can lead to eclampsia, a life threatening situation for both the mother and the child. Preeclampsia usually goes away shortly after the baby is born (Board 2011).
What can I do to prevent toxemia?
Currently, there is no sure way to prevent it. Some contributing factors to high blood pressure can be controlled and some can't. Some things you can do to try to prevent it is:
*use little or no salt
*drink 6-8 glasses of water a day
*don't eat junk food or fried foods
*get enough rest
*exercise
*elevate your feet several times a day
*avoid drinking alcohol
*avoid beverages containing caffeine (Board 2011).
Treatment depends on how close you are to your due date. If you are close to your due date, and your baby is developed enough, your health care provider will probably want to deliver your baby as soon as possible, which is the only real treatment.
If you have mild toxemia and your baby has not reached full development your doctor will probably recommend you to do the following:
*rest
*lying on your left side to take the weight of the baby off your major blood vessels
*increase prenatal check ups
*consume less salt
*drink eight glasses of water a day
If you have severe toxemia your doctor may try to treat you with blood pressure medication until you are far enough along to deliver safely. Untreated preeclampsia can lead to eclampsia, a life threatening situation for both the mother and the child. Preeclampsia usually goes away shortly after the baby is born (Board 2011).
What can I do to prevent toxemia?
Currently, there is no sure way to prevent it. Some contributing factors to high blood pressure can be controlled and some can't. Some things you can do to try to prevent it is:
*use little or no salt
*drink 6-8 glasses of water a day
*don't eat junk food or fried foods
*get enough rest
*exercise
*elevate your feet several times a day
*avoid drinking alcohol
*avoid beverages containing caffeine (Board 2011).