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Pressure and menopause - menopausal hypertension
Content
There are times when blood pressure and menopause are combined, exacerbating an already difficult state of health.
When the ovaries stop producing female sex hormones, and menstruation stops, menopause begins. Almost immediately, all chronic diseases appear, calmly “sleeping” until that time. It is difficult to imagine how many unpleasant sensations a fragile woman has during this period of her life.
High blood pressure and menopause. Let's turn to history.
2 thousand years ago, Aristotle described menopause in women at 40 years old, in Tibet menopause occurs at 80 years old, and the Bible says that Sarah gave birth at 90 years old. In some Arab tribes, menopause occurs already at the border of 30 years. What is the reason for such a drastic difference? It is known that every girl is born with pre-programmed ovaries, but the average age of menopause is 50 years.
How does the cardiovascular system react to menopause?
Usually, after 40 years, diseases that were not previously observed or they were in a chronic state begin to disturb. In women who have crossed this line (albeit 10 years later than in men), there are pre-infarction conditions, hypertension and other vascular diseases are more often manifested. If the fading of ovarian function occurs before the age of 45, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases several times.
All this is due to a deficiency of female sex hormones, because at first it is difficult for the body to rebuild in accordance with these changes.
Water in the tissues and blood vessels begins to linger, it becomes difficult for the heart to cope with the increased load on it. In addition, an elevated state and nervousness during this difficult period for a woman indirectly affects the increase in pressure.
In this regard, it becomes necessary to pay special attention to your blood pressure. If necessary, you should radically change your diet, eliminate all bad habits, coffee, and regularly measure the level of pressure. After 45 years, hypertension with menopause is much more common, and in women aged 55 and above it is at least 60%.
High blood pressure can cause the following pathologies.
- Atherosclerosis. Due to constant pressure surges and its increase, the vessels lose their elasticity over time, and their structure deteriorates. Atherosclerotic plaques may appear.
- Stroke. Changes in the structure of large and small vessels lead to an increased risk of their ruptures, and, consequently, to hemorrhage. The most terrible consequence of pressure with ongoing menopause is a cerebral stroke.
- Heart attack. An increase in the volume of circulating blood gives a greater load on the heart muscle, and if there are rhythm disturbances and pressure surges, the risk of myocardial infarction increases.
If treatment is started immediately and blood pressure is adjusted, it becomes possible to avoid such consequences.
Methods of dealing with hypertension
Replacement of female hormones with artificial ones is the main method of treatment for menopause, if there is an increase in blood pressure.
In some cases, hormonal drugs increase blood pressure, so they are taken with caution and as prescribed by the doctor. If the tonometer shows more than 180 to 110 mm Hg. Art., such drugs are strictly contraindicated.
But the therapy does not end there. If there are violations of sodium and calcium metabolism in the body, special drugs are prescribed that normalize metabolic processes.
In addition, hypertension in menopause requires the following rules:
- a special diet that excludes the consumption of salt, caffeine, fatty and spicy foods;
- after 18 hours it is better to refuse to eat;
- moderate physical activity (fast walking, gym, yoga, gymnastics);
- water procedures (pool, sea, river);
- fight against excess weight;
- refusal of nicotine and alcoholic beverages;
- the correct mode of the day, long sleep.
Depending on the general health of the woman, her body weight and age, the load is increased up or down: how much - the doctor will determine. These requirements will be a great addition to the main treatment. Blood sugar levels will drop, and weight loss will normalize blood pressure. The main thing is not to forget to stick to the schedule, regularly measure the pressure and record it. It is important not to spare time for sports.
Drug treatment must be present in order to reduce the risk of hypertensive crises and other serious complications as successfully as possible. Pressure during menopause can be reduced with the help of diuretics and hydrochlorothiazide, which has a hypotensive effect. In women suffering from menopause, daily measurement of pressure should become a habit, it is desirable to measure it in the morning and in the evening. This will allow you to note whether the treatment is successful and how much to take certain medications.
Insomnia is stopped with sedatives, and migraines go away after taking painkillers. Linden, mint tea, as well as soothing collections with the addition of honey will be an excellent alternative to harmful pills. Head massage and relaxing baths with aromatic oils can also relieve headaches. It is important not to forget that hot baths are contraindicated if there is pressure during menopause.
Rest and sleep mode
In such a difficult period for the female body, it is very important to devote a lot of time to rest and sleep. A full sleep is considered at least 8-10 hours, only if it is not superficial and without frequent awakenings.
When answering the question of how much a woman needs to rest during menopause, all individual characteristics, the severity of menopause, are taken into account.
If nervousness and irritability go off scale, hard work should be limited, if possible, stressful situations should be excluded from life and not communicate with unpleasant people. The ideal option would be to go on a trip, visit a sanatorium or seaside resort. It does not matter how long a pleasant rest takes, the main thing is that it is beneficial and does not increase blood pressure levels.
How long does the treatment for menopause take? Usually these terms are set by the attending physician, who observes the patient for several months. Over time, the body gets used to its new state, hormone levels normalize and nature takes its toll. Severe menopause in combination with hypertension can be experienced without consequences only by strictly following the doctor's recommendations. If a woman's lifestyle is far from ideal, it is imperative to change it to a more suitable one.
