A woman in her third trimester is having severe headaches and visual disturbances. What condition should be suspected?

The symptoms of severe headaches and visual disturbances during the third trimester of pregnancy are indicative of preeclampsia. This condition is characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to another organ system, most often the liver and kidneys. The occurrence of severe headaches can be a result of elevated blood pressure and the stress it places on the body. Visual disturbances, such as blurred or double vision, may arise from hypertension affecting the cranial nerves or from changes in the vascular system of the eyes.

Preeclampsia typically develops after the 20th week of pregnancy and can progress to more serious complications if not managed appropriately, including eclampsia, which entails seizures. Therefore, the combination of severe headaches and visual disturbances prompts suspicion of preeclampsia and warrants immediate medical evaluation and intervention to ensure the safety of both the mother and the fetus.

While other conditions like gestational hypertension may lead to elevated blood pressure, they do not typically present with the additional neurological symptoms seen in this case. Postpartum depression occurs after delivery and is unrelated to the symptoms experienced in the third trimester. Normal pregnancy symptoms generally do not include severe headaches and visual disturbances to this extent, making preeclampsia the most likely diagnosis in this situation