Health A-Z

Medical Content Created by the Faculty of the
Harvard Medical School

Preeclampsia And Eclampsia

Symptoms

A woman with mild preeclampsia may not notice any symptoms, or she may have only mild swelling of the hands or feet. However, most pregnant women have some degree of swelling, so not all swelling indicates preeclampsia.

Symptoms of severe preeclampsia can include:

• Headache

• Visual changes

• Nausea and abdominal pain, usually in the upper abdomen

• Difficulty breathing

Eclampsia causes seizures, which are jerking movements of the arms and legs. During a seizure, a woman is likely to lose consciousness, and she may lose control of her bladder or bowels.