Hellp syndrome: what is it and what are the symptoms?
Hellp's syndrome, which affects pregnant women, is a rare disease that must be taken seriously, however, because it can have rather serious consequences for the mother and the baby. Its name is an acronym, because the word "Hellp" is the list of symptoms found in this syndrome: haemolytic anemia (h), elevated liver enzyme values (el) and low platelet count (lp).
The causes of Hellp syndrome
Hellp Syndrome is considered a complication of preeclampsia (also known as a midwife I do not know herself specifically yet, but it seems that it is a mix of elements of a genetic and environmental nature.
See also
Shaken child syndrome: what it is and what damage does violent shaking entail
Symptoms
Symptoms of Hellp's syndrome are mainly headaches, a crescendo of nausea and vomiting that continues to worsen, upper abdominal pain and vision problems. In short, symptoms also common to other pathologies and therefore not immediately attributable to the syndrome. Since the doctor will notice a certain upper abdominal softness and will find your liver swollen, with elevated enzymes (always from the liver), he could also make a mistake and initially diagnose you with "hepatitis and gallbladder diseases. Not to mention the low blood cell values. reds and platelets, which may suggest idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, so be alert and have multiple visits if necessary.
How is Hellp syndrome treated?
This syndrome is very rare, usually affecting one in a thousand pregnancies and 10% of pregnant women with preeclampsia or eclampsia. The risk of recurrence in subsequent pregnancies is 5%. In the case of Hellp syndrome, an attempt is made to resort to premature birth as soon as possible, because the function of the mother's liver progressively worsens not only her condition, but also that of the baby. Not knowing the actual causes, it is difficult to study the right prevention on a desk. However, early identification of the disease helps to control it, both through drug treatment and an appropriate lifestyle. The latter includes a balanced diet, physical exercise, but also the constant measurement of blood pressure and the necessary hematological analyzes.
