Function

• Medications to control blood pressure focus on the function of the heart muscles that are involved in the flow of blood to and from the heart. A chemical called angiotensin II causes the muscles of the heart to contract, which then causes the blood vessels to narrow. This raises the rate of blood pressure. According to Omudhome Ogbru, who has a doctorate in pharmacy, enzymes cause the creation of angiotensin II and blood pressure medicine employs angiotensin conversion enzyme inhibitors to block this process, thereby lowering the blood pressure.
  
  

How Blood Pressure Affects Women

• Older studies indicated that women were at a lesser risk of high blood pressure than men. However, newer studies show that although women of premenopausal age were less at risk because of high levels of estrogen that help to regulate blood pressure, this does not preclude women of any age from suffering from high blood pressure. Hypertension effects in women are similar to those in men, yet there are other body functions that can be affected, including menstruation and reproduction.
  
  

Sexual Effects

• The most commonly reported sexual side effect of taking blood pressure medicine is the lack of lubrication in the vagina. This can cause pain and perhaps some emotional duress as well. This might in turn affect a woman's desire for sex and can affect sexual arousal. Additionally, a woman's ability to achieve orgasm might be inhibited when taking blood pressure medicine. While the cause of these side effects might be characterized as psychological in nature, their origin is in the decreased pleasure and increased pain caused by a lack of lubrication.
  
  

Other Side Effects

• While other side effects might not necessarily be considered sexual in nature, the overall effect on a woman's health and the function of her body may affect her normal sexual desires and activities. Some of the more debilitating side effects for women taking blood pressure medicine include insomnia, depression and lethargy. Other side effects include skin rashes, swollen ankles, bleeding gums, urinary incontinence and constipation.
  
  

Treatments

• While there are continued studies into the general effects of blood pressure in women, there are no current medical solutions to lessening the negative effects on sexual activities for women who take blood pressure medicine. There are some homeopathic and natural approaches to treating some of these symptoms, although these are not recognized by any accredited medical entity.