HELLP syndrome is a serious pregnancy complication that usually happens late in pregnancy or soon after birth. The early symptoms of HELLP syndrome can include pain in the upper right belly, nausea, vomiting, headache, and feeling generally unwell. It affects pregnant people, often in the third trimester, and it can become dangerous quickly for both parent and baby if not treated. Not everyone will have the same experience. Treatment usually involves close hospital care, medicines to control blood pressure or prevent seizures, and often delivery of the baby, and the outlook is often good with prompt treatment although HELLP syndrome can be life-threatening in severe cases.
How many people live with Hellp syndrome?
HELLP syndrome is estimated to affect about 670,000 to 1.2 million pregnancies worldwide each year; this is an estimate, not a direct count, based on about 134 million births worldwide (World Bank, 2022) and the widely used figure that HELLP happens in about 0.5% to 0.9% of pregnancies (StatPearls, 2023). In the United States, that same range suggests about 18,000 to 32,000 affected pregnancies a year, based on 3.6 million births in 2023 (CDC National Center for Health Statistics, 2024; StatPearls, 2023).
Overview
Hellp syndromeSymptoms
HELLP syndrome often causes pain in the upper right belly, nausea, vomiting, headache, and feeling very unwell. Some people also notice swelling, vision changes, or shortness of breath. Early symptoms of HELLP syndrome can seem like severe flu or indigestion.
Outlook and prognosis
HELLP syndrome usually improves after delivery, but recovery can take days to weeks. Some people need intensive care, blood products, or treatment for liver, bleeding, or blood pressure problems. With prompt care, most recover well, though future pregnancies need close monitoring.
Causes and risk factors
The exact cause of HELLP syndrome is unclear. Risk is higher with preeclampsia, pregnancy-related high blood pressure, a past HELLP syndrome pregnancy, or family history. Older maternal age and obesity may also raise risk.
Genetic influences
Genetics may play a part in HELLP syndrome, but they are not the whole story. Some inherited gene variations may slightly raise risk, especially around blood clotting, immune function, and blood vessel health, while pregnancy-related factors also matter.
Diagnosis
HELLP syndrome is diagnosed during pregnancy or soon after birth using symptoms, a physical exam, blood pressure checks, and blood tests that look for liver injury, low platelets, and red blood cell breakdown. Quick diagnosis of HELLP syndrome matters.
Treatment and drugs
HELLP syndrome is treated urgently in the hospital, usually with close monitoring, medicines to control blood pressure and prevent seizures, and sometimes blood products. If pregnancy is far enough along, or the mother or baby is worsening, delivery is often the safest treatment.
Symptoms
HELLP syndrome often feels like more than normal late-pregnancy discomfort, with symptoms that can build quickly during pregnancy or in the first days after delivery. Early on, this might look like pain high in the belly, nausea, or a severe headache that does not ease up. Many living with HELLP syndrome also feel suddenly unwell, weak, or puffy, and some develop vision changes. Because the early symptoms of HELLP syndrome can mimic other problems, sudden or worsening symptoms need urgent medical attention.
Pain under the right ribs or in the upper middle belly is one of the most common symptoms. It can be steady or sharp and may spread to the back or right shoulder.
Nausea, vomiting, or a strong feeling of indigestion can seem like a stomach bug or severe heartburn. When these symptoms are new, intense, or paired with upper belly pain, they can be a warning sign in HELLP syndrome.
A strong headache that keeps coming back or does not improve with rest can happen, especially when blood pressure is high. Some people describe it as different from their usual headaches.
Blurred vision, seeing spots, sensitivity to light, or trouble focusing can occur. These changes can come on suddenly and should be treated as urgent, especially with a bad headache.
How people usually first notice Hellp syndrome?
HELLP syndrome often first shows up during pregnancy as a sudden feeling that something is not right: many people notice severe pain in the upper right belly or under the ribs, a bad headache, nausea or vomiting, swelling, or vision changes such as blurring or seeing spots. Some also find their blood pressure is high, but not everyone feels obvious symptoms at first, which is why HELLP syndrome is sometimes first suspected after routine pregnancy blood and urine tests. Because it can worsen quickly, new severe headache, right-sided upper abdominal pain, shortness of breath, or sudden swelling during pregnancy or soon after birth should be checked urgently.
Types of Hellp syndrome
HELLP syndrome does not look exactly the same in every pregnancy, and doctors use a couple of well-known systems to describe its variations. Some people have the full pattern of hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets, while others have only part of that pattern. Researchers describe these categories to better understand patterns of the condition, and the types of HELLP syndrome can help explain why symptoms and severity differ from one person to another.
Complete HELLP
This form includes all three main findings together: red blood cell breakdown, liver irritation, and a low platelet count. People with complete HELLP are more likely to feel very unwell, with right upper belly pain, nausea, headache, or swelling. It often raises more urgent concern because bleeding, liver problems, and other complications can develop faster.
Partial HELLP
In this form, only one or two of the main findings are present rather than the full triad. Symptoms can be milder or less clear at first, so it may look more like severe preeclampsia or a bad flu-like illness. Not everyone will experience every type.
Class I
This is the most severe Mississippi class and usually means the platelet count is very low. Many living with Class I HELLP syndrome have stronger symptoms such as severe upper abdominal pain, vomiting, marked malaise, or bruising and bleeding concerns. It generally carries the highest short-term risk for both the pregnant person and baby.
Class II
This is an intermediate severity class, with platelets low but not as low as in Class I. Symptoms may still be serious, including headache, vision changes, nausea, and pain under the ribs on the right side, but the overall lab changes are somewhat less severe. Close monitoring and prompt treatment are still needed.
Class III
This is the least severe Mississippi class, although it can still become dangerous quickly. Some may find that early symptoms of HELLP syndrome are easier to miss here, because the platelet count is higher and the illness may seem less dramatic at first. Even within the same type, intensity can range from mild to severe.
Can I slow down the onset of symptoms?
Usually, no—there is no proven lifestyle change that can reliably slow down or delay the start of HELLP syndrome, a serious pregnancy complication often linked with high blood pressure. Regular pregnancy checkups, good blood pressure control, and careful care for conditions like diabetes may help lower the risk of related problems or catch warning signs earlier, but they do not guarantee prevention; for people at high risk of preeclampsia, doctors often recommend low-dose aspirin during pregnancy because it can lower risk in some cases. While these steps cannot promise that HELLP will not happen, early and steady prenatal care gives the best chance of finding problems quickly and acting fast.
What genetics can tell you about symptoms
For people living with HELLP syndrome, genetics may help explain part of the risk, but they do not clearly predict exactly which symptoms will happen, how severe they will be, or when they will start. Researchers think inherited differences in both the pregnant parent and the baby may slightly affect the chances of developing HELLP syndrome, much like they can with preeclampsia, yet symptoms still vary widely from one pregnancy to another. In everyday terms, family history can matter, but genes alone cannot reliably forecast whether someone will have mild early warning signs, sudden severe illness, or when it will begin.
Causes and risk factors
Doctors do not know one single cause of HELLP syndrome, but it is strongly linked to preeclampsia. It also seems to involve problems in the placenta, blood vessels, and clotting system during pregnancy. Risk factors for HELLP syndrome include a past history of HELLP syndrome or preeclampsia, chronic high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, a higher body weight before pregnancy, and carrying twins or more. Age over 35 and a family history of preeclampsia can also raise risk, and some risks are modifiable (things you can change), others are non-modifiable (things you can’t). Keeping blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar in a healthy range before and during pregnancy may help lower risk, but HELLP syndrome can still happen in people with no obvious risk factors.
What are the most common causes or risk factors?
The exact cause of HELLP syndrome is not fully understood, but it is most often linked to preeclampsia, a pregnancy problem that causes high blood pressure and can put stress on the liver, kidneys, and blood. Risk is higher in people who have had preeclampsia or HELLP before, already have high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, or certain immune system illnesses such as lupus, and in those carrying more than one baby. A family history may also play a part, which suggests genes can matter, and the condition is also more common in older pregnant people and in those with obesity.
Environmental and biological risk factors
HELLP syndrome is a serious pregnancy-related condition, and when doctors think about who is at risk for HELLP syndrome, they usually look at health and pregnancy factors rather than a single outside exposure. Awareness of both biological and environmental influences helps you feel prepared. In practice, the strongest known risk factors for HELLP syndrome are body-based, especially high blood pressure disorders in pregnancy and certain long-term medical conditions.
If you had HELLP syndrome in an earlier pregnancy, the chance of it happening again is higher than average. It still does not happen in every later pregnancy, but your care team will usually watch more closely.
HELLP syndrome often develops in people who already have preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related disorder linked to high blood pressure. Because the two conditions are closely connected, preeclampsia is one of the strongest risk factors.
Living with high blood pressure before pregnancy or early in pregnancy raises the risk. Blood vessels are already under more strain, which can make severe pregnancy-related blood pressure problems more likely.
Kidney disease and diabetes can increase risk because they affect blood vessels, inflammation, and how the body handles the stress of pregnancy. Many people with these conditions do well, but closer monitoring is often needed.
Genetic risk factors
HELLP syndrome does not usually come from one single inherited change. Risk appears to run partly in families, which is why a family history of HELLP syndrome or preeclampsia can matter. Researchers think several genes linked to placental growth, blood pressure, inflammation, and clotting may work together rather than one gene acting alone. Carrying a genetic change doesn’t guarantee the condition will appear.
Family history: People with a close relative who had HELLP syndrome may have a higher chance of developing it during pregnancy. This family pattern suggests an inherited tendency, even though the exact genes are often not clear.
Preeclampsia relatives: A family history of preeclampsia can also raise the risk of HELLP syndrome because the two conditions are closely related. In many families, these pregnancy complications seem to share some of the same inherited roots.
Maternal genes: Inherited differences in the pregnant parent's genes may affect blood vessel function, immune responses, and how the body handles clotting during pregnancy. Small genetic effects in these systems may add up and increase susceptibility to HELLP syndrome.
Placental genes: The placenta carries genes from both the pregnant parent and the fetus, and those genes help shape how the placenta grows and connects to blood vessels. If that process is genetically more vulnerable, the chance of HELLP syndrome may be higher.
No single gene: There is no one known gene change that explains most cases of HELLP syndrome. Instead, the genetic risk factors for HELLP syndrome seem to be spread across several genes, which is why routine genetic testing cannot reliably predict it.
Lifestyle risk factors
HELLP syndrome usually develops in the setting of pregnancy complications rather than from one habit alone. Still, some lifestyle risk factors for HELLP syndrome may raise risk indirectly by increasing the chances of obesity, chronic high blood pressure, insulin resistance, or poor pregnancy health. The strongest lifestyle links are those that affect cardiovascular and metabolic health before and during pregnancy.
Entering pregnancy with obesity increases the risk of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia, which are closely linked to HELLP syndrome. Gradual weight management before pregnancy may help lower that overall risk.
A sedentary lifestyle can worsen blood pressure control, weight gain, and insulin resistance before and during pregnancy. These changes may increase the likelihood of pregnancy complications that can precede HELLP syndrome.
Diets high in ultra-processed foods, excess sodium, and added sugars can contribute to hypertension, excess weight, and metabolic dysfunction. A more balanced eating pattern may support healthier blood pressure and pregnancy outcomes.
Smoking damages blood vessels and is linked to placental and pregnancy complications. Although it is not a direct cause, it may worsen the maternal vascular stress that can accompany severe hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.
Risk prevention
HELLP syndrome is a serious pregnancy-related condition, and there is no sure way to fully prevent it. For many, prevention means lowering risk, catching blood pressure problems early, and getting fast care if warning signs appear. Prevention works best when combined with regular check-ups. This matters most for people with a history of preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, or autoimmune disease.
Regular prenatal visits help spot rising blood pressure, protein in the urine, or blood test changes before HELLP syndrome becomes more dangerous. Keeping these appointments can make a real difference because this condition can worsen quickly.
Managing chronic high blood pressure before and during pregnancy may lower the risk of preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. This can include home blood pressure checks, pregnancy-safe medicines, and close follow-up with your care team.
Some people at higher risk are advised to take low-dose aspirin during pregnancy to reduce the chance of preeclampsia, which is closely linked to HELLP syndrome. Only start aspirin if your obstetric clinician recommends it, because timing and dose matter.
If you have had HELLP syndrome before, or have lupus, kidney disease, diabetes, or a multiple pregnancy, early discussion with your clinician can guide a safer pregnancy plan. Knowing your risks can guide which preventive steps matter most.
Can you prevent Hellp syndrome?
HELLP syndrome cannot always be prevented, and there is no guaranteed way to stop it from happening. Regular prenatal care can help find warning signs early, and for some people at higher risk, good control of high blood pressure and other health problems during pregnancy may lower the chance of it developing. If you have had HELLP syndrome before, your pregnancy care team may suggest closer monitoring and sometimes preventive treatment, but it cannot fully remove the risk.
Transmission
HELLP syndrome is not an infection, so it cannot be transferred from one person to another. If you are wondering whether HELLP syndrome is contagious, the answer is no: it does not spread through touching, kissing, sex, blood, food, or the air.
Instead, HELLP syndrome is a serious complication of pregnancy that develops in the pregnant person’s own body, often alongside or related to preeclampsia. Some may have a higher chance of HELLP syndrome in a future pregnancy, but that is a repeat risk, not a form of transmission.
When to test your genes
For HELLP syndrome, routine genetic testing is not recommended, because early detection depends on blood pressure checks, blood tests, and watching for symptoms during pregnancy. Gene testing may be worth discussing only if HELLP happened more than once, started unusually early, or there is a strong family history of severe pregnancy complications.
Diagnosis
HELLP syndrome is usually diagnosed when someone in pregnancy or just after delivery develops symptoms such as pain under the right ribs, nausea, headache, swelling, or suddenly high blood pressure, and blood tests show a specific pattern of liver and blood-cell changes. The condition can look similar to severe preeclampsia, hepatitis, gallbladder problems, or other causes of abdominal pain, so doctors often need to put several findings together. It’s natural to worry when symptoms don’t have a clear explanation. In practice, the diagnosis of HELLP syndrome is based on symptoms, an exam, blood pressure readings, and urgent lab results.
Doctors ask about upper right belly pain, nausea or vomiting, headache, vision changes, swelling, and feeling generally unwell. They also consider when symptoms started, because HELLP syndrome can appear late in pregnancy or soon after birth.
Blood pressure is measured because HELLP syndrome often happens along with preeclampsia. A high reading does not confirm the condition by itself, but it raises concern and helps guide urgent care.
The main tests look for hemolysis, meaning red blood cells are breaking down, along with elevated liver enzymes and a low platelet count. This blood test pattern is the core of how HELLP syndrome is diagnosed.
Platelets help blood clot, and low levels are a key sign of HELLP syndrome. The result also helps doctors judge bleeding risk and how severe the illness may be.
How is Hellp syndrome diagnosed?
HELLP syndrome is diagnosed during pregnancy or shortly after birth using a mix of symptoms, blood pressure checks, and blood and urine tests. Doctors look for a pattern of red blood cells breaking down, signs of liver injury, and a low platelet count, and they often find protein in the urine as well. Because it can look like other serious pregnancy problems, the diagnosis is based on the whole picture rather than on just one symptom or test.
Stages of Hellp syndrome
HELLP syndrome does not have defined progression stages. This is because it usually develops as a pregnancy complication that can worsen over hours to days rather than moving through clear, fixed phases. Often the process begins when you notice changes in daily life, such as severe pain under the ribs, nausea, headache, swelling, or feeling suddenly very unwell, and doctors diagnose it with blood pressure checks, blood tests, and urine testing. Because the early symptoms of HELLP syndrome can overlap with other pregnancy problems, close monitoring in the hospital is often needed to track the liver, blood clotting, and the health of both parent and baby.
Outlook and prognosis
With prompt recognition and delivery, most people with HELLP syndrome recover well, and laboratory abnormalities usually begin to improve within 48 to 72 hours after birth, although full recovery can take days to weeks. The outlook is strongly influenced by how severe the disease is at diagnosis and whether complications such as liver hematoma or rupture, stroke, kidney failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, placental abruption, or severe bleeding occur. Maternal death is uncommon in settings with rapid obstetric and intensive care, but reported mortality still exists and is generally estimated at about 1% to 3%, with higher risk when diagnosis or treatment is delayed. For the baby, prognosis depends mainly on gestational age and placental function, so preterm birth, growth restriction, and stillbirth risk are increased, especially in severe early-onset cases. HELLP syndrome can recur in a future pregnancy, with recurrence estimates varying but often cited around 5% to 25%, and the risk of related hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia is also higher than average. After recovery, follow-up is important to monitor blood pressure, kidney and liver recovery, and to discuss future pregnancy planning and long-term cardiovascular risk.
Long-term effects
For many people, the long-term effects of HELLP syndrome are limited, and health improves after the pregnancy ends. Still, a severe episode can leave lasting effects for some, especially if there was major liver, kidney, bleeding, or blood pressure trouble during the illness. It’s important to remember that long-term doesn’t always mean progressive, but future pregnancy and heart health may need closer follow-up.
People with HELLP syndrome have a higher chance of preeclampsia, high blood pressure in pregnancy, or HELLP syndrome again in a later pregnancy. The risk is not the same for everyone, but doctors often watch future pregnancies more closely from early on.
Even after recovery, many living with HELLP syndrome have a higher long-term risk of chronic high blood pressure. This may become noticeable years later rather than right after delivery.
A history of HELLP syndrome is linked to a higher lifetime risk of heart disease and stroke, similar to other serious pregnancy-related blood pressure disorders. This does not mean these problems are certain, but it does mean heart health deserves attention over time.
Kidney strain during HELLP syndrome often gets better after delivery, but severe cases can sometimes leave ongoing kidney problems. Lasting damage is more likely if there was acute kidney injury during the illness.
How is it to live with Hellp syndrome?
Living with HELLP syndrome can feel frightening because it often develops suddenly during pregnancy or just after delivery, turning what should be a closely watched but hopeful time into a medical emergency. Many people with HELLP syndrome are hospitalized and may feel severe fatigue, pain, nausea, headaches, or blurry vision, which can make ordinary daily activities impossible and shift the focus entirely to urgent treatment and close monitoring of both parent and baby. For partners, family, and other loved ones, this can mean abrupt changes in plans, worry about the health of two people at once, and a need to help with decisions, childcare, transportation, and emotional support during a stressful and uncertain stretch.
Treatment and drugs
HELLP syndrome is treated as a medical emergency, and the main treatment is to stabilize the pregnant person and decide whether delivery is the safest next step, because the condition usually improves only after the baby and placenta are delivered. Before delivery, doctors may give medicines to lower very high blood pressure, magnesium sulfate to help prevent seizures, and steroid shots to help the baby’s lungs mature if an early birth is likely. Some people living with HELLP syndrome also need treatment in the hospital for complications such as heavy bleeding, low platelets, or liver problems, and this can include blood or platelet transfusions. Treatment often looks different for each person, because timing depends on how severe HELLP syndrome is, how far along the pregnancy is, and whether the baby is in distress. After birth, careful monitoring usually continues for at least a day or two, since symptoms can briefly worsen before they start to improve.
Can you cure Hellp syndrome?
HELLP syndrome cannot be cured with a pill or other medicine alone; the only way to stop it is usually to deliver the baby and the placenta. After delivery, many living with HELLP syndrome start to improve over the next few days, but careful hospital care is still often needed. Treatment can help control blood pressure, prevent seizures, and treat bleeding or liver problems while doctors keep both parent and baby as safe as possible.
Non-drug treatment
HELLP syndrome usually needs urgent care in the hospital, not home treatment. For many, treatment begins not at the pharmacy, but with close monitoring of the pregnant person and baby while the team plans the safest timing of birth. The main non-drug treatment for HELLP syndrome during pregnancy is delivery, along with supportive hospital care before and after birth. Exactly what is needed can vary with how far along the pregnancy is and how severe the condition has become.
People with HELLP syndrome are usually admitted to the hospital so the care team can watch for rapid changes. This often includes repeated blood tests, urine checks, and frequent vital sign monitoring because the condition can worsen quickly.
Close observation helps doctors track the liver, kidneys, blood clotting, and signs of bleeding or organ strain. For many living with HELLP syndrome, this can mean several checks in a day, especially if early symptoms of HELLP syndrome are getting worse.
The baby is often monitored with heart rate tracing and ultrasound checks to see how well the pregnancy is being tolerated. These tests help the team decide whether it is safer to continue the pregnancy briefly or move toward delivery sooner.
Delivery is the key treatment because HELLP syndrome usually starts to improve only after the baby and placenta are delivered. Depending on the situation, this may involve inducing labor or having a cesarean birth if that is the safest option.
Your genes may have an impact on how drugs work for you
For people with HELLP syndrome, treatment is usually guided by how sick the mother and baby are, not by genetic testing, because this condition needs fast decisions about blood pressure control, seizure prevention, and often delivery. In general, small inherited differences can change how some people break down medicines, so one person may get more benefit or more side effects than another, but this is not something doctors routinely use to guide HELLP treatment today. For many living with HELLP syndrome, the biggest factors are how severe the illness is, how far along the pregnancy is, and how the body is responding hour by hour.
Pharmacological treatments
HELLP syndrome is treated in the hospital because the main goals are to protect the pregnant person, prevent seizures and stroke, and decide when delivery is safest. No medicine can fully reverse HELLP syndrome on its own, so drugs are mainly used to stabilize blood pressure, lower immediate risks, and support the baby if early delivery is likely. Sometimes medicines are taken short-term (acute treatment), while others are used only around the time of delivery.
Magnesium sulfate is commonly given to help prevent seizures in people with HELLP syndrome, especially when severe preeclampsia features are present. It is usually given through a vein and watched closely because too much can slow breathing or cause weakness.
Labetalol, hydralazine, and nifedipine are often used if blood pressure becomes dangerously high. Lowering severe blood pressure helps reduce the risk of stroke and other emergencies while the team plans the next steps in treatment for HELLP syndrome during pregnancy.
Betamethasone or dexamethasone may be given before an early delivery to help the baby's lungs mature more quickly. These steroids are not a cure for HELLP syndrome itself, but they can make a real difference if birth is expected within the next day or two.
Dexamethasone has also been used in some hospitals to try to improve low platelets or abnormal liver tests, but this practice varies. Not everyone responds to the same medication in the same way, and the strongest evidence supports steroids more clearly for fetal lung development than for treating HELLP directly.
Genetic influences
If HELLP syndrome has happened in your family, it is reasonable to ask whether genes may raise the risk in pregnancy. Research suggests genetics can play a part, but HELLP syndrome is not usually caused by one single inherited gene change, and there is no standard genetic test that can reliably predict who will develop it. Family history is one of the strongest clues to a genetic influence. Risk may be higher when someone has a personal or family history of HELLP syndrome or preeclampsia, which points to inherited differences in how the placenta, blood vessels, and clotting systems respond during pregnancy. Even so, family history is only part of the picture, and many people with relatives affected by HELLP syndrome never develop it themselves.
Is Hellp syndrome genetic?
Genetics may play a part in HELLP syndrome, but they are not the whole story. Some inherited gene variations may slightly raise risk, especially around blood clotting, immune function, and blood vessel health, while pregnancy-related factors also matter.
Having a genetic risk is not necessarily a diagnosis
Gene changes are a normal part of human biology and are common across the general population. Most of these changes do not directly affect health and are simply part of natural human diversity. In many genes, carrying a change linked to a condition suggests a possible association rather than a certain diagnosis, especially when several genes and environmental factors are involved. In some situations, though, a single well-understood change in a particular gene can be enough to confirm a diagnosis.
Pharmacogenetics—how genetics influence drug effects
When HELLP syndrome develops, treatment usually needs to move quickly, so doctors base decisions mainly on how severe it is, how far along the pregnancy is, blood pressure, bleeding risk, and how the pregnant person and baby are doing. Genetics is only one factor, and right now it usually does not change the standard medicines used for HELLP syndrome. For many living with HELLP syndrome, treatment may include medicines to prevent seizures, blood pressure medicines, steroids in some situations, and blood products if bleeding or very low platelets become a concern. Researchers are studying genes linked to the placenta, blood vessel function, inflammation, and clotting because these may help explain why HELLP syndrome happens in some families or why it can be more severe in some pregnancies. Even so, there is no routine genetic test that tells doctors which drug will work best for HELLP syndrome in the way it can for some other conditions. If there is a strong family history of preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome, that information can still be useful, but it mainly helps with risk awareness and closer monitoring rather than changing emergency treatment.
Interactions with other conditions
Many living with HELLP syndrome are already dealing with high blood pressure in pregnancy or preeclampsia, and the conditions often appear together or quickly lead into one another. This can make early symptoms of HELLP syndrome harder to spot, because headache, swelling, nausea, or pain under the ribs may be blamed on the pregnancy itself or on preeclampsia alone. Doctors call it a comorbidity when two conditions occur together, and in this setting the overlap matters because HELLP syndrome can raise the risk of seizures, kidney injury, liver bleeding, and problems with blood clotting. It can also affect the baby, since poor blood flow through the placenta may happen alongside growth restriction, placental abruption, or early delivery. Some may find that other liver or blood disorders can briefly look similar to HELLP syndrome, so doctors often do urgent blood tests to tell them apart. After recovery, people who have had HELLP syndrome may also have a higher chance of preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome in a future pregnancy, so follow-up care matters.
How genes can cause diseases
Humans have more than 20,000 genes, each carrying out one or a few specific functions in the body. One gene instructs the body to digest lactose from milk, another tells the body how to build strong bones and another prevents the body's cells from beginning to multiply uncontrollably and developing into cancer. As all of these genes combined are the building instructions for our body, a defect in one of these genes can have severe health consequences.
Through decades of genetic research, we know the genetic code of any healthy/functional human gene. We have also identified that in certain positions on a gene, some individuals may have a different genetic letter from the one you have. We call these hotspots "Genetic Variations" or "Variants" in short. In many cases, studies have been able to show that having the genetic letter "G" in the position makes you healthy, but having the letter "A" in the same position disrupts the gene function and causes a disease. Genopedia allows you to view these variants in genes and summarizes all that we know from scientific research, which genetic letters (Genotype) have good or bad consequences on your health or on your traits.
What other conditions can cause similar symptoms to Hellp syndrome?
Other conditions that can look like HELLP syndrome include severe preeclampsia, a rare liver problem in pregnancy called acute fatty liver of pregnancy, hepatitis, gallbladder disease, and rare blood disorders that can damage red blood cells and lower the blood cells that help with clotting. These can cause similar problems such as pain in the upper right belly, nausea, vomiting, headache, swelling, high blood pressure, and abnormal blood tests. Because the overlap can be so close, doctors usually need blood and urine tests, and sometimes imaging, to tell them apart quickly.
History
For a long time, HELLP syndrome was hidden inside the broader picture of severe pregnancy-related illness. Many living with it became suddenly very unwell late in pregnancy or soon after birth, with symptoms such as pain under the ribs, nausea, headache, or feeling unusually exhausted, but earlier doctors did not always recognize these signs as part of a distinct condition. In practice, this meant some people were first thought to have severe preeclampsia, liver disease, gallbladder problems, or a stomach illness.
As doctors began comparing cases more carefully in the 20th century, they noticed a repeating pattern: breakdown of red blood cells, signs of liver injury, and a low platelet count. This cluster was later given the name HELLP syndrome, based on those key lab findings. Identifying that pattern mattered because it helped explain why some pregnant people became critically ill very quickly, even when the early symptoms of HELLP syndrome seemed vague at first.
In recent decades, awareness has grown, and that has improved how quickly HELLP syndrome is recognized in emergency rooms, labor units, and prenatal care. Researchers have also clarified that it is closely related to preeclampsia, although it does not always look the same from one pregnancy to the next. Some may have high blood pressure and obvious swelling, while others mainly have upper belly pain, vomiting, or abnormal blood tests.
This history has shaped modern care. Today, doctors are more alert to the warning signs of HELLP syndrome during pregnancy and in the days after delivery, which can lead to faster testing, closer monitoring, and earlier treatment. Knowing how understanding has changed over time also helps explain why prompt medical attention is so important when these symptoms appear.