Story by: Sara Thompson on February 28, 2023
Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of blood vessels. High blood pressure, or hypertension, makes the heart work harder than normal. Left untreated it can scar and damage the blood vessels, and can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, eye damage and other dangerous conditions. Of the total adults with high blood pressure, 44% are women.
“High blood pressure symptoms in women can be very subtle,” said Crystal D. Narcisse, M.D., internal medicine/pediatrics physician with Norton Community Medical Associates. “Those symptoms can mimic other conditions such as everyday stress and anxiety, or, if someone is a certain age, the signs of menopause.”
Regular visits with your primary care provider will include blood pressure readings. You also can visit a Norton Prompt Care at Walgreens clinic.
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“Some patients have no symptoms at all, which is why it is important to get your blood pressure checked regularly,” Dr. Narcisse said. “You can get this done at places such as your health care provider’s office or a pharmacy kiosk.”
Don’t wait for symptoms to appear. Be sure you know what your blood pressure is. If you have any of the following risk factors, you could be more likely to develop high blood pressure and the complications that come with it:
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