High blood pressure contributes to more than heart disease in women. Discover the side effects of high blood pressure and associated complications below.
High blood pressure or hypertension has been considered a men’s problem, but that’s untrue. While more men suffer from this condition before they enter their 40s, it is after menopause that females more than catch up with them. Postmenopausal women are more likely to develop high blood pressure than men. Hypertension is often considered a silent killer because the condition does not show symptoms until too late. Women have been dealing with high blood pressure for ages, and until they develop a stroke or a heart attack, they develop no high blood pressure symptoms. Research suggests that women suffer less from hypertension till menopause if they have enough estrogen hormone, which acts as a vasodilator and thus keeps the blood pressure controlled. As women encounter menopause, estrogen hormone levels in the bloodstream decrease and make women more likely to develop high blood pressure.
Most healthcare specialists check their blood pressure every time they visit them as part of their medical routine. It helps to detect the effects of high blood pressure at an early stage. This help keeps the blood pressure under control. Here are five things that women should know about high blood pressure:
- Hypertension, especially in its early stages, is hard to recognize – High blood pressure symptoms in women include headaches, fatigue, chest discomfort, and shortness of breath. It’s easy to understand how these symptoms could be confused with everyday anxiety, stress, if age-appropriate, symptoms of menopause exist. Sometimes, a woman with high blood pressure might not have any visible symptoms. According to experts, the best way to monitor your risk of developing hypertension is to check your pressure regularly, whether at your clinician’s office or home.
- Don’t wait for the signs to appear; know your blood pressure number and take appropriate action – Once you know your blood pressure numbers, it is important to know what they mean. To understand the numbers, look at the following measurements.
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- Normal blood pressure levels: Lower than 120/80 mmHg
- Raised blood pressure: Between 120- 129/<80mmHg
- Hypertension, stage 1: 130-139/80-<90mmHg
- hypertension, stage 2: 140/90mmHg or higher
If your blood pressure is raised, this is the stage when we begin to worry about it progressing into high blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure levels, the tougher it becomes to achieve control over it, and the more likely you are to experience associated complications, so the earlier it’s diagnosed and treated, the better will results.
- Pregnancy can reveal hypertension – Sometimes, pregnancy brings all-new episodes of high blood pressure because the changes a woman undergoes during pregnancy can unmask existing high blood pressure waiting at the back to do something bad. A new diagnosis of elevated blood pressure can also result from a woman having her blood pressure levels measured for the first time in a while at the first appointment during pregnancy. Preeclampsia, a specific form of high blood pressure, also occurs during pregnancy. However, the condition is rare, but it is important to manage for both mommy and baby. This usually resolves after delivery, but a woman needs to follow her doctor’s advice.
- Risk of high blood pressure rises after menopause – During menopause, women undergo several body changes associated with hormone levels and body weight. These changes increase a woman’s risk of high blood pressure. Symptoms of menopause also might be another reason high blood pressure symptoms go undiagnosed in ladies. Common symptoms of the two include high blood pressure, headaches and fatigue. This way, a woman may delay checking her symptoms because they seem related to menopause which causes high blood pressure to go undiagnosed. This is another reason why regularly monitoring your blood pressure is so important.
- Take precautionary measures to prevent hypertension – High blood pressure is preventable. The key to preventing high blood pressure is to focus on healthy lifestyle choices and avoid unhealthy habits. These prevention tips include:
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- Eating a well-balanced diet that that limits the intake of highly processed foods
- Maintaining a healthy weight, especially if you are overweight
- Limit salt intake
- Regular monitor blood pressure levels
- Quit smoking
- Limit alcohol intake
- Regular physical activity
- Have regular checkups with your doctor.
If you are already suffering from high blood pressure, the steps above become important since they also help control your blood pressure. Achieving blood pressure control helps prevent it from progressing, and a healthcare specialist can help you reach your blood pressure goals. Buy medicines online from the most reliable online pharmacy store at Reliable Rx.
