I wrote this article to give you information you can use to find out and take measures to prevent or reduce its effects.

 

What is preeclampsia?

 

Preeclampsia is the development of high blood pressure (hypertension), puffiness (edema), and protein in the urine (albuminuria). Preeclampsia develops primarily in women pregnant for the first time who have high blood pressure or blood vessel disease.

 

You can ask your health care provider placental growth factor (PIGF) urinary dipstick test. At least one study showed that preeclamptic women had low PIGF levels.

 

Why prevention is essential

 

If not treated, eclampsia develops in 1/200 of preeclamptic women and can be fatal if not treated. That's why if you're pregnant, it's essential to lose weight, which will bring down blood pressure in most women and follow other self-care measures to insure you do not ecome eclamptic.

 

What self-care measures can help prevent preeclampsia and eclampsia?

 

*Cook with garlic and take 2 garlic capsules 3X/day to lower blood pressure

 

*Eat 5-7 fruits and vegetables every day, drink carrot/celery or carrot parsley fresh juice every day (buy a juicer online or at health food store), eat grains daily instead of eating bread or processed cereals(including brown rice, buckwheat, millet and oats

 

*Drink steam-distilled water only and make sure you drink 8 glasses of it a day

 

*Avoid all animal fats (meat, milk, cheese, bacon, beef, bouillons, chiken liver, corned beef, gravies, pork, sausage, and smoked or processed meats

 

*Avoid all alcohol, caffeine (including in chocolate), and tobacco

 

*Avoid antihistamines except under a doctor's care

 

*Avoid artificial sweeteners

 

*Take enzyme coq10 capsules, 100 mg daily to lower blood pressure

 

*Use only olive oil for salad dressing and for cooking, eat fish several times a week, and grind flaxseeds and put in daily salads or take flaxseed capsules daily (as directed on label) to reduce blood pressure

 

*Lose weight if overweight by slowly building up to walking 20 minutes a day.

 

*Sprinkle lecithin granules (health food store or online) in salads, soups, and drinks, 1 tbsp 3 times daily to emulsify fat and lower blood pressure

 

*Take calcium and magnesium citrate capsules daily; deficincies have been linked to high blood pressure

 

Sources and Resources

 

"Preeclampsia and Eclampsia," The Merck Manual, Merck & Co., Rahway, NJ, pp. 1870-71.

 "High Blood Pressure," Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Balch & Balch, Avery Publishers, 1997, pp. 320-324.

 "Detecting Preeclampsia Before It Starts," Clinican Reviews, February, 2005, p. 34, 19.

 

Copyright 2006 Carolyn Chambers Clark

www.carolynchambersclark.com