Pregnancy and kidney problems...!
Kidney Problems during Pregnancy and its Treatment
Though pregnancy is a physiological process most of the time, it can cause kidney problems in some of the women.
Painful urination with frequency is common in patients with urinary bladder infection.
The volume and size of the Kidneys increase in pregnancy by about 1 cm, because of this some of pregnant women are particularly susceptible to ascending pyelonephritis as a result of bladder infections
Severe abdominal (or) flank pain along with passage of blood in the urine due to kidney stones is common in some pregnant women
Most common cause of Acute Kidney Injury in pregnancy is dehydration owing to hyperemesis gravidarum i.e excessive vomiting.
These include gestational hypertension, pregnancy induced hypertension, existing hypertension of any cause and Pre-eclampsia superimposed on pre-existing hypertension.
- Gestational hypertension
- Pre-eclampsia (Pregnancy Induced Hypertension)
Pregnant women with BP greater than 140/90 mmHg without loss of protein in urine and whose BP was lower before pregnancy are described as having gestational hypertension.
It is the most common renal complication of pregnancy. It is characterized by new onset of hypertension after 20 weeks of pregnancy BP >140/90 mmHg associated with loss of protein in urine and swellings of legs.
It should be given according to the category with anti hypertensive medications
Kidney related problems are common during pregnancy which should be evaluated at the earliest and taken care by team of health personnel including nephrologists and urologists.
FAQs
Dr. Vani D,
MD, DM
Consultant Nephrologist & Transplant Physician
Visakhapatnam
