High Blood Pressure

What causes high blood pressure in women?

Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against your artery walls. Having high blood pressure means that blood force is high enough to damage arteries if left untreated.

Risk factors for high blood pressure include:

• Age
• Obesity
• Stress
• High sodium diet
• Lack of exercise
• Family history of hypertension

In women, pregnancy, the use of hormonal birth control, and hormone changes during menopause can also contribute to high blood pressure.

Murry Medical provides comprehensive care for women aged 18 and up who have high blood pressure and those at moderate to high risk for the condition. Dominique tailors a care plan to reduce your blood pressure levels and to lower your risk for long-term complications.

What complications can high blood pressure cause?

Artery damage from chronic high blood pressure significantly increases risk factors for serious and potentially life-threatening complications such as:

• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Kidney disease
• Vision changes
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications

Many women have high blood pressure without knowing it because the condition typically doesn’t cause symptoms until there’s artery damage, giving the condition the nickname “silent killer.” For this reason, your Murry Medical practitioner recommends routine blood pressure screenings for early detection and treatment.

You should also schedule a blood pressure screening if you experience frequent dizziness, nosebleeds, or unexplained headaches, which can be symptoms of artery damage related to high blood pressure. 

How is high blood pressure treated?

Murry Medical offers customized treatment plans for women with high blood pressure. Initially, Dominique might recommend lifestyle and diet changes to bring your blood pressure under control. These changes can include:

• Quitting smoking
• Limiting alcohol use
• Sleeping 7-9 hours every night
• Reducing salt intake
• Exercising daily

If blood pressure levels remain high, you may need to take medications that relax blood vessels to improve blood flow or water pills that remove excess fluids and sodium from the body. Dominique might also recommend medical weight loss to help you achieve a healthy body weight.

Dominique discusses how often you should schedule routine blood pressure checks to ensure treatment is working well. You may also need at-home blood pressure monitoring. 

Call Murry Medical today to learn more about the available treatments for high blood pressure or book a consultation online.