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Managing Hypertension Or High Blood Pressure
Managing Hypertension Or High Blood Pressure
Blog /
2021-05-23
By Admin

Be on High Alert for High Blood Pressure

When was the last time you checked your blood pressure? Did you know that doctors recommend checking your blood pressure once or twice a week? This is because there are people who are unaware that they have hypertension and thus the lack of necessary action and measures in getting the condition under control. In fact, 1 in 3 adults in the US, approximately 100 million, have hypertension and half of them are oblivious to their health condition and are not receiving the right treatments.

High blood pressure usually develops in people aged 30 to 40; the older a person gets, the higher the chance of getting the condition. But it does not only depend on age since cases of obese children developing hypertension have shown a steady increase through the past years.

What happens when you have high blood pressure?

As the heart pumps blood throughout the circulatory system, the force of the blood as it runs through the blood vessels or arteries is referred to as blood pressure. Therefore, highblood blood pressure means that the force of blood that pushes against the arterial walls is higher than normal.

The normal blood pressure reads at 120/80 and below; any number higher than that (129/89) falls under “pre-hypertension.” Meanwhile, 140/90 is considered the second stage of high blood pressure and if it shoots up to 180/110 or higher, you have reached the “hypertensive crisis” stage which needs immediate medical help. The first number in the measurement refers to the systolic pressure (the pressure in your blood vessels as your heart beats). On the other hand, the second number is called the diastolic pressure, which denotes the force of blood in the blood vessels between beats.

How does hypertension develop?

If you have a family history of hypertension, the odds are high that the condition is just lurking around and it will develop anytime soon. Moreover, pre-existing diseases like diabetes and kidney disease will also increase your chances of having high blood pressure. People over the age of 65 will most likely develop the disease. The above risk factors are near irrevocable and are expected to occur, but there are way more risk factors that can be modified and avoided to prevent the development of hypertension.

Avoidable risk factors include excessive salt consumption, foods that are high in trans fats and saturated fats, lack of fruits and vegetables in the diet, absence of physical activity, immoderate smoking and drinking, and obesity.

Symptoms of hypertension and why you should be aware

Hypertension or blood pressure is also referred to as a “silent killer” because it shows no symptoms and it can easily put the heart at risk without the person knowing since they feel perfectly fine.

Awareness about your blood pressure is vital to your overall health because it keeps worse diseases at bay.

Complications of hypertension

If hypertension goes uncontrolled, the damage that it can cause to your arteries can get more life-threatening by the day. Here are complications that uncontrolled hypertension can lead to.

Aneurysm Chest pain Dementia Heart attack or strokes Heart failure Irregular heartbeat Metabolic syndrome Trouble with memory and understanding Vision loss because of thickened, narrowed or torn blood vessels in the eyes Weakened and narrowed blood vessels in your kidneys Hypertension management There are certain medications given by your healthcare provider like lisinopril, captopril, enalapril maleate, etc. that will help you reach your blood pressure goal. To further facilitate your blood pressure’s improvement, creating a healthy lifestyle is a great leap forward. Decrease the consumption of salty and fatty foods, and add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Commit to regular exercises and slim down if needed. Cut down on unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol.