According to Harvard Medical School, 13% of women under 44 and half of women in their 60s suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension. Recognizing the signs of hypertension is very important because it can lead to serious health problems like stroke, kidney failure and heart disease. However, recognizing high blood pressure is not as easy as it is thought because most people do not experience any visible symptoms until the pressure reaches a level that is too high.

One symptom of hypertension is headache, especially if you experience it upon waking. Doctors warn that these types of headaches are usually signs of high blood pressure which is in the late stages of the disease and can be very risky.

Along with headaches, if a woman is experiencing nosebleeds more frequently than normal then she may be suffering from high blood pressure. Nosebleeds also occur in the later stages of hypertension. Therefore, it is prudent for women to start checking their blood pressure in two-year intervals once they turn 20. This would enable them to nip the problem of high blood pressure in the bud.

Again you can not depend upon symptoms to alert you to the fact that you are suffering from high blood pressure, it is much better to adopt a preventive strategy and check your blood pressure regularly and rely on the risk factors for high blood pressure. If you or a family member falls into a high-risk category, check your pressure as soon as possible. Such symptoms would include chest pain, the most severe headache of your life, sudden onset of nose bleeds, numbness or sudden confusion. If you experience any of these symptoms, they may be precursors of a stroke and indicators of severely high blood pressure. A doctor should be visited immediately.

African Americans in the Southeast United States are in the high-risk list for high blood pressure according to the Rush University Medical Center. Besides, this ethnic group, women who are in their middle to elder years of life are also at a higher risk than other women. Use of contraceptives, excessive drinking, obesity, family history and suffering from conditions like kidney disease also put women at a greater risk of getting high blood pressure.

Since hypertension is a potentially dangerous problem if left untreated, it is imperative for women to get their blood pressure checked as regularly as possible.

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