Get To Know Your Numbers
Because there arent any symptoms, its important to have your blood pressure checked regularly. Get to know the numbers and when to get help from your doctor.
Your blood pressure will have two numbers:
- Systolic is the upper number, measuring when your heart is forcing blood through your vessels.
- Diastolic is the lower number, measuring pressure between heart beats.
For example, 120/80 indicates a systolic blood pressure of 120 and a diastolic blood pressure of 80 mm/Hg.
Lowering Systolic Blood Pressure More May Cut Health Risks
One major study found that lowering systolic blood pressure to well below the commonly recommended level also greatly lowered the number of cardiovascular events and deaths among people at least 50 years old with high blood pressure.
When study participants achieved a systolic blood pressure target of 120 mmHg compared to the higher target of 140 mmHg recommended for most people, and 150 for people over 60 issues such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure were reduced by almost one-third, and the risk of death by almost one-fourth.
“That’s important information, because more lives may be saved and more deaths may be prevented if we maintain lower blood pressure in certain patients,” says Lynne Braun, NP, PhD, a nurse practitioner at the Rush Heart Center for Women.
Braun cautions, however, that your personal blood pressure target depends on a variety of things, including your current blood pressure, lifestyle, risk factors, other medications you are taking and your age. “Every person has to be evaluated as an individual,” she says. “Realistically, we can’t get everybody down to 120, and trying to do so may create unintended problems.”
It can be dangerous, for instance, to keep an older person on medications that have unsafe side effects, such as diuretics , which can cause dehydration and dizziness in older adults.
And there can be other issues involved with taking multiple medications, such as cost and compliance.
What Causes High Blood Pressure
For most people, the cause of high blood pressure is not known. However, it is clear that various conditions and behaviour make high blood pressure more likely. These are known as risk factors and include:
- leading a sedentary lifestyle
- high alcohol consumption
In a few people, there is an identifiable cause, such as narrowing of the arteries to the kidney or some hormonal conditions.
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Can Anxiety Lead Me To Have 160/90 Blood Pressure
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This article will center on discussing if anxiety may lead you to experience 160/90 blood pressure. It will show how anxiety can impact your blood pressure, the problems this can bring, and how you can cope.
Blood Pressure Is Mostly A Silent Disease
Unfortunately, high blood pressure can happen without feeling any abnormal symptoms.
Moderate or severe headaches, anxiety, shortness of breath, nosebleeds, palpitations, or feeling of pulsations in the neck are some signs of high blood pressure. Often, these are late signs that high blood pressure has existed for some time, therefore annual checks are recommended for all adults.
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What You Should Know About A Blood Pressure Of 160/80
What is hypertension stage two? Blood pressure guidelines exist to define hypertension within stages. These stages, which were created by The American Heart Association and The American College of Cardiology, are like a roadmap to help guide and tailor decisions in the treatment process for hypertension. Understanding the specifics of your blood pressure stage is critical to successfully controlling readings over the long-term.
Stage two hypertension blood pressure is systolic blood pressure 140-180 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure 90-120.
Normal systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings are considered under 120/80 mmHg. The next stage is elevated blood pressure, which is 120-129 systolic mmHg and diastolic pressure remaining less than 80 mmHg. High blood pressure starts at hypertension stage one, which is a systolic reading of 130-139 mmHg or a diastolic reading of 80-89 mmHg. Hypertension stage two is progressive hypertension, and its the last stop before the hypertensive crisis stage of having blood pressures over 180/120 mmHg.
Its important to remember that the above stages are all distinguished through consistent, reliable blood pressure measurements. In other words, your blood pressure should be taken at least twice on two separate occasions via a trustworthy measurement tool before a classification of hypertension stage two is made.
Buying A Blood Pressure Instrument To Measure Your Blood Pressure At Home
Blood pressure instruments can be purchased in most pharmacies. Buy a blood pressure instrument that has been approved by the Association for the Advancement in Medical Instrumentation , the British Hypertension Society or the International Protocol . These labels will be marked clearly on the box. If you are unsure whether an instrument is approved, ask your pharmacist for help. Once you have bought the instrument, ask your doctor or pharmacist to check it to make sure the instrument measures your blood pressure accurately.
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Why Is It Important To Know If You Have High Blood Pressure
Early detection of high blood pressure is very important. Often referred to as the silent killer because it may show no symptoms, high blood pressure puts you at an increased risk for heart disease, heart failure, and stroke, among other things. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2013, more than 360,000 deaths in the United States included high blood pressure as a primary or contributing cause.
How Is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed
You might have your blood pressure taken at a clinic, or you may be given a machine that records your blood pressure at home at regular intervals over a 24-hour period. You often need a few readings to check the reading over time, as blood pressure varies during the day.
How is blood pressure measured?
Measuring your blood pressure is quick and simple. An inflatable cuff is wrapped around your arm. This tightens and then slowly deflates. Your blood pressure reading shows up on an electronic screen.
Understanding your blood pressure reading
Your blood pressure reading is recorded as two numbers.
- Systolic:the pressure when your heart beats.
- Diastolic: the pressure in between heartbeats.
Both numbers are equally important, and blood pressure is counted as being high if either number is high.
What do the numbers mean?
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury, written as mmHg. For example:
90/60 mmHg.
The ideal blood pressure is between 90/60 mmHg and 120/80 mmHg.
High blood pressure is diagnosed if:
- Its consistently above 140/90 mmHg.
- Youre over 80, and your blood pressure is over 150/90 mmHg.
- Its consistently above 135/85 when you measure it at home.
- Its over 180/120, only one test is needed.
If you have diabetes or other conditions like kidney disease, you might be offered medication at 130/80.
Why is the target level lower for home blood pressure testing?
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How Is Blood Pressure Measured
Blood pressure is defined as the amount of pressure that is exerted on the artery walls as blood moves through them. It is measured in millimetres of mercury, or mmHg.
A more detailed explanation is provided below.
Two measurements are used to measure blood pressure:
- Systolic pressure – the measure of blood pressure exerted when your heart beats and forces blood around your body.
- Diastolic pressure – the measure of blood pressure when your heart is resting in between beats.
Both the systolic and diastolic pressures are measured in millimetres of mercury .
The figures are usually represented with the systolic pressure first, followed by the diastolic pressure. Therefore, if your GP says that your blood pressure is ‘120 over 80’, or 120/80mmHg, they mean that you have a systolic pressure of 120mmHg and a diastolic pressure of 80mmHg.
Quick Guide To Blood Pressure Medication
This guide can only give general information. You should always get individual advice about your own health and any treatment you may need from a medical professional such as a GP or pharmacist.
The main groups of blood pressure medication are:
- ACE inhibitors. Abbreviated from angiotensin-converting enzyme.
- Angiotensin-2 receptor blockers .
- Other types of medication.
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High Blood Pressure May Cause Anxiety
Whether or not high blood pressure directly causes anxiety is less clear. More often than not, anxiety causes high blood pressure first, which causes the person to worry about their blood pressure and ultimately experience more anxiety.
It’s possible that high blood pressure does cause anxiety, but most likely the anxiety is a response to the high blood pressure experience, or to concerns over a person’s health. Most people can’t feel their blood pressure because high blood pressure on its own doesn’t cause any symptoms. But some of the other causes of high blood pressure may cause a person to feel more anxiety.
Medications With Blood Pressure Of 160/90
Medications can have a big impact on your blood pressure. There are a variety of different types of blood pressure medications available. Following is a short list of each type of medication and what they do to reduce blood pressure.
- DiureticsHelps rid the body of sodium , which helps control blood pressure.
- Beta-blockersHelps reduce your heart rate, which helps lower blood pressure.
- ACE inhibitorsACE stands for Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme. Helps the body produce less angiotensin, which helps the blood vessels relax and lowers blood pressure.
- Angiotensin II receptor blockersHelps block the chemical that causes blood vessels to narrow, which helps blood vessels stay open and lowers blood pressure.
- Calcium channel blockersHelps lower blood pressure by preventing calcium from entering smooth muscle cells, which can cause stronger heart contraction and narrow blood vessels.
- Alpha blockersHelps relax certain muscles, which keeps blood vessels open and lowers blood pressure.
- Alpha-2 Receptor AgonistsHelps lower blood pressure by inhibiting sympathetic activity.
- Central agonistsUsing a different nerve path than Alpha and Beta blockers, Central agonists help relax blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure.
- VasodilatorsHelps dilate the blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure.
Talk with your doctor about changing or adjusting the dosage of medications to help bring your blood pressure readings down.
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Measuring Ambulatory Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can also be diagnosed through a special device called an ambulatory blood pressure monitor. A doctor, nurse or pharmacist will get you to wear the device for a full day. The device measures blood pressure every 20 to 30 minutes and gives the doctor an average of your blood pressures during the day and while you are sleeping. These devices are not available everywhere and can be uncomfortable to wear.
What You Should Know About A Blood Pressure Of 160/90
What is hypertension stage two? Blood pressure guidelines exist to define hypertension within stages. These stages, which were created by The American Heart Association and The American College of Cardiology, are like a roadmap to help guide and tailor decisions in the treatment process for hypertension. Understanding the specifics of your blood pressure stage is critical to successfully controlling readings over the long-term.
Stage two hypertension blood pressure is systolic blood pressure 140-180 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure 90-120.
Normal systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings are considered under 120/80 mmHg. The next stage is elevated blood pressure, which is 120-129 systolic mmHg and diastolic pressure remaining less than 80 mmHg. High blood pressure starts at hypertension stage one, which is a systolic reading of 130-139 mmHg or a diastolic reading of 80-89 mmHg. Hypertension stage two is progressive hypertension, and its the last stop before the hypertensive crisis stage of having blood pressures over 180/120 mmHg.
Its important to remember that the above stages are all distinguished through consistent, reliable blood pressure measurements. In other words, your blood pressure should be taken at least twice on two separate occasions via a trustworthy measurement tool before a classification of hypertension stage two is made.
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Living With Panic Attack Health Fears
Panic attacks involve so many physical symptoms that health fears are incredibly common. It can even create health anxiety. That’s why it’s so important to get your panic attacks under control.
Your blood pressure does increase when you have anxiety. Two different issues lead to the development of high blood pressure during an attack:
- Adrenaline, which causes your heart to speed blood around your body.
- Hyperventilation, which causes your blood vessels to constrict.
Both of these lead to tremendous pressure, and in some cases the appearance of severe hypertension. Those that go through panic attacks, they tend to experience fear over whether or not these attacks indicate that they are putting strain on their heart that could be deadly.
What To Do If You Have Hypertension Stage Two
The prognosis for your future health hinges upon adequate treatment. For hypertension stage two, the treatment plan will likely involve three components: monitoring, modification, and medications.
Its critical to carefully and regularly monitor blood pressure at home following a hypertension stage two diagnosis. Accurate, consistent readings are needed to determine if treatment measures are effective and determine if blood pressure is either stabilizing or progressing toward the hypertensive crisis stage.
It will also be important for anyone diagnosed with stage two hypertension to have certain tests to look for and monitor any systemic damage to specific organs. Primary care physicians can use a simple blood test to check kidney function, and an EKG and X-rays can check the hearts anatomy and function. Dont forget to visit the ophthalmologist for a complete eye exam.
Hypertension stage two places individuals at a significantly increased risk of having and developing cardiovascular disease. While lifestyle changes are prevention measures for those with normal blood pressure and a focal point of treating stage one hypertension when cardiovascular disease is a low risk, lifestyle changes are typically only a part of a larger treatment plan in cases of hypertension stage two.
- Thiazide diuretics
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What Is The Link Between High Blood Pressure And Stroke
High blood pressure can lead to stroke in different ways. It can lead to blood clots in the brain, and can damage the tiny blood vessels deep inside the brain. It can also make a stroke due to bleeding in the brain more likely.
Strokes due to a clot
High blood pressure damages your blood vessels by making them become narrower and stiffer, and causing a build-up of fatty material. This process is called atherosclerosis. Clots can form on the areas of fatty material, and if a clot travels to the brain it causes a stroke or transient ischaemic attack .
Stroke and cognitive problems due to small vessel disease
Small vessel diseases means having damage to the tiny blood vessels deep inside the brain. This makes a stroke more likely, and it can affect your thinking ability . Its often caused by high blood pressure.
Stroke due to bleeding in or around the brain
High blood pressure can damage blood vessels inside the brain, causing bleeding in the brain. This is called a haemorrhagic stroke.
Top Blood Pressure Number Is Key In Seniors
Even When Lower Number Normal, Dont Ignore Top Number, Say Researchers
Aug. 31, 2004 People aged 60 and older commonly face a unique blood pressure problem. And new research shows that this is something that shouldnt be ignored.
Blood pressure is noted by two numbers. The upper number, systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart pumps blood throughout the body the lower number, diastolic blood pressure, is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxing .
When systolic blood pressure rises above 160 in people aged 60 and older, its time to consider treatment even if the lower number is normal, less than 90. New research on systolic high blood pressure, which is much more common as we age, is published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
Sarwat Chaudhry, MD, of the West Haven Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Haven, Conn., and colleagues conducted the research. Chaudhrys team reviewed more than 1,000 related studies done between 1996 and 2004, focusing on 36 articles in particular.
Chaudhry and colleagues found strong evidence to support treating systolic high blood pressure in people aged 60 and older. Doing so can decrease the likelihood of developing heart disease or having a stroke.
High systolic blood pressure in people 60 and over is a much more important heart disease risk factor than high diastolic blood pressure, write the researchers.
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Diagnosing High Blood Pressure
The only way to find out whether you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked regularly. Ask your GP when you are next due for yours to be checked.
Before having your blood pressure taken, you should rest for at least five minutes and empty your bladder. To get an accurate blood pressure reading, you should be sitting down and not talking when the reading is taken.
Having one high blood pressure reading does not necessarily mean that you have high blood pressure. Your blood pressure can change throughout the day. Feeling anxious or stressed when you visit your GP can raise your blood pressure .
Therefore, your GP will need to take several readings over a set period of time, usually every month, to see whether your blood pressure level is consistently high.
Blood and urine tests may also be carried out in order to check for conditions that are known to cause an increase in blood pressure, such as kidney infections.
You may also be given a blood pressure device to take home so that you can record your blood pressure level throughout the day. This also helps to identify white coat syndrome and therefore helps to identify the best treatment options for you.