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Secondary Hypertension
There are two types of high blood pressure. Although the exact cause of the first type, primary hypertension, isn’t known, the condition is associated with certain risk factors, including eating too much salt (for folks who are sensitive to sodium), and stress. Any of these can increase blood pressure in people with primary hypertension.
The tricky thing about both forms of hypertension is that they rarely produce any symptoms, even when blood pressure becomes dangerously high.
The absolute risk of developing secondary high blood pressure while taking birth control pills isn’t known, but there are several factors that can put you more at risk:
Heading off High Blood Pressure
The most commonly prescribed oral contraceptives are combination pills, so called because they’re made from a mixture of estrogen and progestin, a synthetic form of progesterone. Because they contain estrogen, these are the ones that have the potential to affect a woman’s blood pressure.
If you’re taking a combination pill and your blood pressure goes up, you have several options depending on whether the increase is significant enough to be concerned about. The most obvious one, if you really like using a pill for birth control, is to try one that contains only progestin. These often are called “mini-pills” and are considered safer for women with high blood pressure. They’re also the smarter choice for those older than 35 who smoke, as well those with a history of blood clots.
Some women find that progestin-only pills are easier to tolerate than combo ones. They’re less likely to cause nausea and headaches that are common side effects of the regular birth control pills. At the same time, they have the disadvantage of causing some bleeding between periods for the first several months a woman takes them. And timing is more important with progestin-only pills: They must be taken at the same time each day.
Progesterone-Only Birth Control
The other option is obvious: Try another form of birth control. You may want to steer clear of other contraceptives that contain estrogen, but otherwise, you have several good options, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the IUD, the birth control injection, the implant, and, of course, the good old-fashioned condom.
SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Family Physicians. “Progestin-Only Birth Control Pills.” May 2017.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Effectiveness of Family Planning Methods.”
Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Family Physicians. “Progestin-Only Birth Control Pills.” May 2017.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Effectiveness of Family Planning Methods.”
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Family Physicians. “Progestin-Only Birth Control Pills.” May 2017.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Effectiveness of Family Planning Methods.”
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