O10.1: Pre-existing hypertensive heart disease complicating pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium

The heart pumps blood through the arteries to every part of the body. The pressure in the arteries must be enough for all the organs to get enough blood. On the other hand, if the blood pressure is too high, the heart, kidneys or other organs may get damaged. Under stress, our blood pressure naturally rises. During the night, our blood pressure usually falls.

The metric for blood pressure always consists of two figures. The first figure is the maximum pressure in the arteries. It occurs when the heart pumps blood out. The second value is the minimum pressure in the arteries. It occurs when the heart is filling up with blood again. A normal blood pressure can be around 120 over 80. Depending on age or pre-existing conditions, a normal blood pressure can also be slightly higher or lower.

High blood pressure is when the blood pressure in the arteries is too high for a long period of time. It is possible that high blood pressure develops or gets worse as a result of changes in the course of the pregnancy. However, in your case, the high blood pressure was determined before or at the beginning of your pregnancy.

Initially, high blood pressure often causes no, or few, appreciable symptoms. Only if the blood pressure rises very sharply can things like headache, dizziness, nosebleeds and pain in the chest occur. If the blood pressure is elevated over a long period, blood vessels and organs can become damaged over time. This has caused changes in your heart. During pregnancy, high blood pressure can also affect the child.