Preeclampsia is known as one of the potentially life-threatening conditions, which can affect at least 5% of pregnant women. However, one of the problems is that there are not really many symptoms that can be identified or observed in this condition. Hence, doctors may have to conduct certain examinations and test to ensure safety of the mother and child..
Noting changes in your chart
During pregnancies, doctors maintain a chart of your symptoms and signs. So if you are suffering from any kind of abdominal pain, excess dizziness, changes in vision, sudden loss of fluid, headaches, etc. the doctor would be able to diagnose via these signs. He/ she would also be making suggestions on other bodily changes and signs of urine, etc.
Checking for swelling
The doctor would also examine and check your hands, ankles, legs, etc. for signs of swelling. Though some amount of swelling is normal, the doctor would be looking for unusual signs of swelling in the mother.
Urine test
This would be suggested usually when the doctor notices that the mother is not urinating as frequent. Generally the milder cases would reveal proteinuria to be less than 300 mg in a duration of 24 hours.
Rise in blood pressure
Blood pressure that stays more than 140/90 is known as one of the potential threats of this illness. The doctor will ask you to maintain a chart of your BP at home and keep them posted. Depending on your readings over a period of 2 days, further steps would be taken.
Self test doesn’t really work here because the doctor would be able to analyse preeclampsia on the basis of these factors put together and just not a single aspect. So don’t panic and worry about 1-2 symptoms going wrong, because they could well be a other pregnancy related temporary issues.