High Blood Pressure in Perimenopause
Are you experiencing symptoms of high blood pressure during menopause? If yes, then you should consider taking some steps to reduce your risk of developing hypertension later in life.
High blood pressure (hypertension) in Perimenopause is a common condition affecting millions of women worldwide. Hypertension occurs when the force of blood flowing through the arteries increases beyond normal levels. This causes the heart to pump harder and puts extra stress on the kidneys, eyes, brain, nerves, and other organs.
Hypertension is often associated with aging, obesity, diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, and certain medications. In addition, pregnancy, childbirth, and hormonal changes such as those experienced during menopause also increase the risk of developing hypertension.Menopausal Transition
Perimenopause is the stage of life during which a woman experiences changes related to menopause. These include hormonal fluctuations, such as decreased estrogen levels, increased testosterone levels, and fluctuating hormone production. Symptoms associated with perimenopause vary widely among individuals, and there are no hard-and-fast rules regarding what is normal versus abnormal.
The term perimenopausal transition refers to a specific phase of menopause, beginning around age 40 and lasting up to 10 years. During this time, a woman typically experiences irregular menstrual cycles, often accompanied by hot flashes and night sweats. In addition, a woman may experience mood swings, sleep disturbances, vaginal dryness, and weight gain.
Importantly, hot flashes — sometimes called hot flushes and given the scientific name of "vasomotor instability" is the most commonly reported symptom of perimenopause in women.
Source: health.harvard.edu
Heart Health
What's less known, however, is that menopause can also impact your cardiovascular health. Although menopausal symptoms vary from woman to woman in their bodies, many experience changes to their heart health.
Source: naturesbest.co.uk
High blood pressure (or Hypertension) is defined as having systolic blood pressure (the top number) over 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) over 90 mmHg.
Hypertension is a chronic disease that affects millions of people worldwide. The symptoms include headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, leg swelling, nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, and fainting.
What causes High Blood Pressure in Perimenopause?
Menopause is a natural part of aging. During this time, women can experience changes in their hormone levels, such as estrogen and progesterone. With the decline in estrogen levels, risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) become more apparent, especially hypertension.
Estrogen has been shown to have an effect on blood vessels. It relaxes them, making it easier for blood to flow through. Estrogen also helps keep cholesterol levels low, which reduces the risk of plaque buildup inside the artery walls.
With the decrease in estrogen levels, women start experiencing hot flashes. Hot flashes occur when the body produces too much heat. They usually last only a few
Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Importantly, both of these hormones play a vital role in regulating blood pressure.
Women who suffer from high blood pressure often report symptoms of hot flashes or night sweats. The cause of these symptoms is unknown, but they tend to occur at times when blood pressure rises.
What can I do about High blood Pressure in Perimenopause?
There are several things you can do to help lower your blood pressure in perimenopause:
1. Eat healthy foods. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, beans, and soy will provide essential nutrients for good health. Avoid processed foods, refined sugars, trans fats, and salt.
2. Exercise regularly. This can be from starting to walk on a daily cycle, or going to a gym to participate in exercise classes or working out with a personal gym instructor.
3. Consult your doctor at regular intervals during a calendar year.
4. Monitor your blood pressure with a home based blood pressure monitor.
5. Take medications as prescribed by your doctor.
6. Be patient - lowering your blood pressure can take months and years to achieve.
7. Know your numbers. Understand what the terms "Systolic" and Diastolic" pressure mean.
8. Educate yourself. Read books and articles on managing high blood pressure.
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Omron Home Blood Pressure Monitor[/caption]Risk Factors
The best way to monitor your risk for high blood pressure in perimenopause is to check your blood pressure regularly — whether at your doctor's office or a consulting room in a pharmacy. Once you do get your blood pressure checked, it's important to know what your current numbers mean. If your blood pressure is elevated, this is when you should start to be concerned about it progressing into high blood pressure. Importantly, studies suggest that women who have experienced premature menopause should have additional screening to monitor their blood pressure.
Cardiologists and gynaecologists have recently reached agreement on how to manage women with perimenopausal high blood pressure. They recommend that doctors regularly assess heart risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, family history of premature coronary heart disease and physical activity. Women with one or more of these risk factors are considered to be at high risk for developing heart disease. If no additional risk factors are present, treatment recommendations include hormone replacement therapy, exercise and weight loss.
Source: houstonmethodist.org
Estrogen Patches
If you're waking up often due to menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes, you can also talk to your doctor about hormone replacement therapy.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used to treat certain conditions caused by an imbalance of hormones. HRT helps relieve some of the symptoms associated with menopause, such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. It also reduces the risk of osteoporosis and other bone-related problems.
Typically, medical professionals don't use estrogen replacement to prevent heart disease, but use it to manage bothersome symptoms. If you can't sleep through the night because you're having night sweats all night, that's also a disruptive symptom. Estrogen patches, in which a low dose of estrogen is applied through the skin, may help ease menopausal symptoms, including disrupted sleep.
Source: everydayhealth.com
Conclusion
The term Perimenopause is used to describe the time period between menopause and the onset of menopausal symptoms, which typically occurs at age 50-55 years. It can be a confusing time for women as they are going through physical changes that may feel like they are happening much earlier than expected. Many women experience some of these changes before their 40th birthday. Importantly, cardiovascular (heart health) issues may develop as a result of changing hormone levels at the onset of menopause. High blood pressure during Perimenopause is common. Many things can be done in order to both prevent and manage heart issues throughout this time of a woman's life.
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