High Blood Pressure Symptoms in Women: Types, and More

High blood pressure or hypertension often acts like a silent killer. High blood pressure can come with few or almost no symptoms. This is why patients sometimes even do not realize that they are going through high blood pressure. Though both men and women are affected by high blood pressure, high blood pressure symptoms in women have been seen mostly.  

What Is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure might be symptomless sometimes, but that does not make it harmless. The heart of a person with high blood pressure works harder than the heart of a person with normal blood pressure. It can damage your arteries and lead to a heart attack if it is not treated correctly. Besides, high blood pressure can damage the brain, blood vessels, and other organs.  

High Blood Pressure in Women

Most women live longer than men do, and high blood pressure increases the risk of a heart attack with age. Women with a family history of high blood pressure tend to have high blood pressure. Menopause is also another important reason for getting diagnosed with high blood pressure. A high level of estrogen hormone helps to have a healthy heart in pre-menopausal women. On the other hand, women with menopause have an increased risk of getting high blood pressure, as, after menopause, estrogen hormone level starts to decrease. Besides, stress and depression are pervasive these days among almost everyone. Women with depression or women who are pregnant are prone to get high blood pressure quickly. Even birth control pills and smoking can cause high blood pressure in women.  

High Blood Pressure Symptoms in Women

High blood pressure is something that is very difficult to diagnose at an early stage because the symptoms are prevalent, more like our everyday issues like stress. Have a look at the common signs of high blood pressure in women: 

• Headache 
• Tiredness 
• Breathing Problem  
• Discomfort in the chest 
• Blurry vision 
• Vomiting 
• Dizziness 

Our blood pressure fluctuates from time to time. But there is no other way to know if you have blood pressure other than going for a checkup. So checking blood pressure after a while should be integral, especially in the middle of your thirties. After the thirties, women should go for regular blood pressure checkups.  

High Blood Pressure Symptoms in Older Women

Symptoms of high blood pressure are not that different in older women than the younger ones. However, after a woman ages, most notably if she is in her post-menopause stage, she is most likely to go through high blood pressure. In such a state, high blood pressure also acts as a slow poison.  

Symptoms like dizziness and redness in front of the eyes can be seen if you have high blood pressure. But needless to say, you must visit your general physician for regular health checkups if you are aging and also going through the post-menopause stage.  

Problems Because of High Blood Pressure

As high blood pressure comes with some or almost no symptoms, you must get a doctor's consultation, especially if you are in the middle of your thirties or at your post-menopause stage. If blood pressure is not detected at the right time, it can cause several complications in your body like:

• Heart attack 
• Stroke 
• Kidney Problem 
• Dementia 

Types of Hypertension

Hypertension can happen if you have high blood pressure. It can be of two types, primary hypertension and secondary hypertension. People between the ages of 18-39 tend to get hypertension. Let's have a look at the different types of hypertension. 

Primary Hypertension

Primary hypertension is the most common form of hypertension, also called essential hypertension. Such type of hypertension does not come with a definite reason. Most people suffer from this type of hypertension. Though there can be some factors like- 

• Genes

Like some other bodily complications, you can also have hypertension if you have a family history of high blood pressure. Also, if parents or siblings have hypertension, you better go for a checkup.  

• Unhealthy Lifestyle

Our body is the reflection of the lifestyle we follow. A poor lifestyle can lead you to have many complications ahead. Taking a lot of junk food and an inactive physique can make you obese, and being overweight can invite a lot of diseases into your body. Obesity can be one of the reasons of getting high blood pressure and hypertension among adults, elders, and children.

Secondary Hypertension

When hypertension is caused by other factors like thyroid, kidney disease, etc. is called secondary hypertension. It can happen suddenly. In this type, blood pressure tends to increase a lot more than in primary hypertension. Have a look at the causes of secondary hypertension- 

• Thyroid 
• Kidney disease 
• Adrenal tumor 
• Birth control pills 
• In taking drugs like cocaine

Besides these two types of hypertension, there are some other types: pulmonary hypertension and portal hypertension. 

Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension or pulmonary arterial hypertension is a type of high blood pressure where the arteries of the lungs and the right side of the heart get affected. In this type of hypertension, the blood vessels of your lungs get blocked. This blockage does not let blood flow appropriately through your lungs. And here, your heart needs to make some extra effort which leads to weakening your heart muscle and failure. Pulmonary hypertension can lead to life risk gradually. 

Portal Hypertension

The vein that transfers blood to the liver from the digestive organs is called the portal vein—veins from the stomach. The pancreas and intestine come and merge into the portal vein. Small veils full of branches then travel to the liver. The portal vein is different than the other veins of our body. Portal hypertension can be seen when the blood pressure in the portal vein gets too high. In easy words, liver damage or liver injuries like hepatitis or alcohol abuse can cause portal hypertension. Patients with liver disease or cirrhosis have high chances of having portal hypertension.  

Symptoms of portal hypertension

• Black stool or blood in stool or vomiting can be a symptom of portal hypertension  
• If white blood cells decrease and the level of platelets reduces   

Portal hypertension treatment should be done if any symptoms are seen. Endoscopy and x-ray can help you to know if you have portal hypertension.   

How to Lower the Risk of High Blood Pressure? 

Though with age, stress level, and the stage of menopause or childbirth, it has been quite impossible to avoid high blood pressure and hypertension. However, some things can lower the risk of being diagnosed with high blood pressure.

Healthy Food Habit

There is no need to say that a healthy body is less likely to have complications. However, our eating habit is vital to achieving a healthy body. And no doubt that a healthy diet can lead you to have a healthy body. Having a healthy body is very important to lower the risk of having high blood pressure, and besides, balancing the level of sodium in the body is necessary. Whole-grained food, vegetables, and fruits can help your body to balance the level of sodium.  

Balanced Body Weight

Having a healthy body is very important, as a balanced body weight will lower the risk of high blood pressure. Following a healthy diet will automatically lead to a balanced body weight. Even if you have a chance of getting high blood pressure, proper body weight with a healthy diet and adequate exercise will keep your blood pressure to a healthier level.  

Keep an Eye on Sodium Level

You must always keep an eye on how much salt you intake. You are recommended to take less than 2,400 milligrams of salt a day. Doing this can make you stay away from hypertension. However, most outside food or restaurant food contains a lot of sugar; even frozen foods have a high salt level. So, enlist homemade healthy food in your food habit and go for the herbs with less salt.  

Stay Active

There is no substitute for exercise. Staying physically active and maintaining a proper exercise routine can keep high blood pressure and hypertension at bay!

High blood pressure in women has become almost an unavoidable problem. But, having a proper diet and balanced body weight can help a bit. Though, any kind of high BP symptoms in women should not be avoided at all. Proper checkups and get doctor consultation with the physician are essential for every woman out there, especially those going through the post-menopause stage.