NEW YORK CITY – A new study from Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University shows a pregnant woman with high blood pressure and no history of headache may be at risk of complications and preeclampsia if she develops a sudden worsening headache.
The study was published in the Aug. 18 edition of the journal Neurology.
The research is suggesting that women complaining of sudden onset headaches that rapidly get worse should be paid close attention to by their doctors and should be referred to specialists for neuroimaging and monitoring for preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia, or toxemia, usually happens in the second or third trimester and may be related to abnormal interaction of blood vessels that supply blood to the placenta. Other symptoms of trouble include high blood pressure, headaches, blurry vision, or abdominal pain. Other warning signs of severe problems include fever, seizures and headaches without sound sensitivity and psychiatric problems.
About 140 study subjects who averaged 29 years old were analyzed over a five-year period. A majority of these women were Hispanic or African-American. All were pregnant women who had been complaining of headaches and who were sent to a neurological consultation. About 90 percent had migraines, 51 percent suffered with pregnancy-related high blood pressure, and 38 percent had preeclampsia.