Here's why preeclampsia remains one of the most worrisome pregnancy-related health conditions

Few periods of life are more closely monitored and supervised than during one's pregnancy. Throughout this time, trained medical professionals conduct a series of prenatal visits with the mother-to-be to make sure her questions and concerns are addressed and to check for any complications or conditions that may arise.

Some of the most common pregnancy-related complications or conditions include gestational diabetes, infections, or severe nausea or vomiting. Another common condition that is frequently monitored for during pregnancy is preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is an especially important condition to be diagnosed by a professional during routine prenatal visits because "it can be totally asymptomatic - meaning you may not even know that you have it," cautions Dr. Sarosh Rana, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and the section chief of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine.

What is preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia is a high blood pressure condition that develops during pregnancy - "typically occurring in third trimester, though it can occur as early as 20 weeks and can also occur in the postpartum period," explains Rana.

Left unchecked, it can lead to multisystem organ failure, liver and kidney dysfunction, stroke, seizures, or fluid in the lungs. The condition can also cause high levels of protein in the mother's urine, which can lead to dehydration, kidney disease and immune disorders.

"Preeclampsia not only affects maternal health but can also significantly impact fetal and neonatal short- and long-term outcomes, such as fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, and other medical issues related to prematurity," says Rana. "It's a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality worldwide."

Indeed, preeclampsia affects some 5% to 8% of all mothers in the United States and is responsible for about 15% of all premature deliveries in the country, per Cleveland Clinic.

Eleni Tsigas, the chief executive officer of the Preeclampsia Foundation in Melbourne, Florida, explains that there is no cure for preeclampsia - nor any way to fully prevent it - but there are ways of diminishing one's risk and treating the condition.

What are the symptoms of preeclampsia?

While it's common not to experience any obvious symptoms associated with preeclampsia, Tsigas says that many women with the condition may experience symptoms like headaches, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, burning behind the sternum, nausea and vomiting, diminished cognitive function, a heightened state of anxiety, or visual disturbances such as oversensitivity to light, blurred vision, or seeing flashing spots or auras.

More commonly though, the condition is caught by prenatal checkups because it's such a common condition and because "all pregnant patients are at risk for developing preeclampsia," says Dr. Leslie Moroz, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Yale Medicine. She explains that doctors often detect the condition by checking for high blood pressure or blood pressure that continually increases from visit to visit.

What causes preeclampsia?

While Tsigas says all of the causes or contributing factors related to preeclampsia are not fully understood, "but there is general agreement that the placenta plays a key role - and women with chronic hypertension, obesity, and certain metabolic diseases like diabetes or autoimmune diseases like lupus are more susceptible."

Rana echoes that reasons for incomplete placental development behind the condition are still being debated, but it's likely that "genetic, immunological, and environmental factors can all contribute."

How is preeclampsia treated?

Regardless of what factors cause or contribute to the condition, preeclampsia is treated a number of different ways. If the baby isn't old enough to be delivered safely, doctors usually recommend certain medications, dietary restrictions that reduce sodium intake, drinking more water, and increasing one's number of prenatal checkups. "The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology also recommends that all patients receive a low dose of aspirin for preeclampsia once it has been discovered and continuing until delivery," says Rana.

Sometimes other treatments and measures are recommended, depending on factors related to the "gestational age and health of the baby, overall health and age of the mother, and after a careful assessment of how the disease is progressing," says Tsigas. "These include monitoring blood pressure and assessing the results of laboratory tests that indicate the condition of the mother’s kidneys, liver, or the ability of her blood to clot."

But medical interventions and associated measures are only meant to help the mother carry the baby as close to term as possible, because, in the end, "the only complete treatment for preeclampsia is delivery," says Moroz. Such timing, she adds, "is determined by balancing the risks of delivery earlier than full term against the risks of preeclampsia."

Once the baby has been delivered and the role the placenta plays in preeclampsia is no longer a factor, Tsigas says, "most women with preeclampsia will fully recover."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is preeclampsia?