Statistically, high blood pressure in women is not as common as high blood pressure in men, but there is no medical evidence for this. Therefore, like men, women also need to be aware of the various aspects associated with the problem of hypertension, such as the basics, the risk factors, symptoms, preventive strategies, and treatment options.
Are Women At Lower Risk Than Men?
Though there is no medical evidence, yet clinical thinking still approves the following, based on various studies.
• As per studies, there are certain factors, such as estrogen, that protect women from problems like heart disease and high blood pressure.
• Women tend to develop high blood pressure at a much older age than men.
• Various studies have also found that the occurrence of the problem is less likely in women than in men.
However, recent researches say that women and men are at same level of risk, when they are old. Therefore, even though statistics give us a very different picture, it is not correct to say that high blood pressure in women has a lower probability than in men.
Birth Control Pills
Recent researches have found a strong link between birth control pills and hypertension in women. The situation becomes worse if you also smoke heavily. Therefore, if you are planning to use these pills, you must quit smoking. Besides that, it is also advisable to get your blood pressure level measured before you start taking pills. What is more, you should monitor the blood pressure level and get it checked regularly, at least every three months. If other risk factors, such as family history and obesity, are also applicable in your case, you should get the blood pressure checked more often – at least once a month.
Pregnancy
Gestational hypertension is one of the types of high blood pressure that women may have to suffer during pregnancy days. Your health care provider must monitor your blood pressure level closely because the condition usually develops very quickly. As soon as the problem is diagnosed, prompt medical attention is critical for the safety of both the mother and the baby. If you are planning on getting pregnant while you are suffering from hypertension, you must first consult your doctor because pregnancy can worsen the condition. In fact, that is the reason why it is always wise to get your blood pressure checked if you are planning to conceive.
Post - Menopausal
The reason why men and women are less likely to suffer from high blood pressure during young age is mainly because of the effect of estrogen. But, as you age, the effect of estrogen decreases substantially. That is the reason why older men and women are more likely to develop hypertension. In case of women, the levels of estrogen may decrease greatly during menopause, which actually means elevating high blood pressure risk.
Overall, we can see that high blood pressure in women can sometimes be very complicated because of the various issues related to women. So, you need to be more careful once the problem is diagnosed.