What Are Some Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

How Is High Blood Pressure Treated

If high blood pressure is due to a condition like kidney disease or lung disease, treating it might be enough to get the blood pressure back to normal.

Doctors also might recommend lifestyle changes for kids with hypertension, such as:

Eating a healthy diet:

• Eat more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy.
• Limit salt.
• Avoid alcohol.

Getting regular exercise for 3060 minutes at least 3 times a week. Kids with severe hypertension should not do any weightlifting or power-lifting, bodybuilding, or strength training until their blood pressure is under control and a doctor says it’s OK.

People with high blood pressure should not smoke, and their home and car should be smoke-free.

If diet and exercise changes do not improve the blood pressure, doctors may prescribe medicine.

Risks Of High Blood Pressure

If your blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on your blood vessels, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes.

Persistent high blood pressure can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening health conditions, such as:

• have a relative with high blood pressure
• are of black African or black Caribbean descent
• live in a deprived area

Making healthy lifestyle changes can sometimes help reduce your chances of getting high blood pressure and help lower your blood pressure if it’s already high.

Common Causes Of Low Blood Pressure

The following are important causes of low blood pressure that need to be investigated prior to considering Adrenal Fatigue as the culprit.

Dehydration. Dehydration reduces the volume of blood and reduces cardiac output . It is common among patients who have prolonged vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and Adrenal Fatigue. Paradoxically, dehydration is also a common cause of high blood pressure as the body may overcompensate by constricting blood vessels in order to prevent reduced low pressure in early Adrenal Fatigue and normal people alike. In fact, taking more fluid can be quite helpful in the majority of essential hypertension cases in its early stages.

Heart disease. Heart disease such as weakened heart muscle, pericarditis, bradycardia, arrhythmias, heart block, and tachycardia can also lead to low blood pressure as the heart is unable to maintain the stroke volume to supply adequate blood flow to the body. Arrhythmia is more prevalent in those with ANS dysfunction. Persistent overtones of the SNS increase the release of norepinephrine. Chronic increases of norepinephrine can lower the hearts threshold for cardiac arrhythmia, which is commonly seen in Adrenal Fatigue.

Less common causes include septicemia, alcoholism, diabetes, shock, kidney disease, vasovagal reaction, micturition syncope, anaphylaxis, and certain rare neurological syndromes such as Shy-Drager syndrome that damage the ANS, and Addisons disease.

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Symptoms Of Sudden High Blood Pressure

Unlike traditional high blood pressure, where there are no visual symptoms until major damage has occurred, sudden high blood pressure alerts you immediately.

• Weakness or numbness in arms, legs, face
• Mentality changes such as anxiety, fatigue, confusion, restlessness

In extreme cases of sudden high blood pressure, there may be bleeding from damaged blood vessels, blindness from ruptured retina nerves or vessels, and possibly seizures.

Other Causes Of Fatigue With High Blood Pressure

With high blood pressure, the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels is consistently too high. Untreated and over time, this force can damage the blood vessels and cause heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and/or vision problems.

Heres a closer look at some of the conditions that can cause fatigue:

• Coronary artery disease: High blood pressure can cause narrowing or blockage of the arteries, which can affect blood flow.
• Peripheral arterial disease: Hypertension can lead to the narrowing of arteries located in the legs, stomach, arms, and head, which can cause leg pain and cramping.
• Enlarged heart: High blood pressure forces the heart to work harder, which like any muscle, grows bigger with more use.
• Heart failure: High blood pressure can narrow and block blood vessels, making it difficult for the heart to circulate enough blood to the body. Heart failure is a chronic condition.
• Kidney damage and kidney failure: High blood pressure affects blood flow to the kidneys and can potentially damage the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys. This can impair their ability to filter blood and lead to kidney failure.

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Drink Alcohol In Moderation

Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol will increase your blood pressure and raise the cholesterol levels in your blood.

Sticking to the recommended amounts of alcohol consumption is the best way to reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure.

The recommended daily limits of alcohol consumption are:

• 3 to 4 units of alcohol for men
• 2 to 3 units of alcohol for women.

A unit of alcohol is equal to about half a pint of normal-strength lager, a small glass of wine or a pub measure or spirits.

More about drinking alcohol reponsibly

What Are The Complications Of Uncontrolled Hypertension

• Chest pain, also called angina.
• Heart attack, which occurs when the blood supply to the heart is blocked and heart muscle cells die from lack of oxygen. The longer the blood flow is blocked, the greater the damage to the heart.
• Heart failure, which occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to other vital body organs.
• Irregular heart beat which can lead to a sudden death.

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What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

In many cases, patients with hypertension, or high blood pressure, dont know they have it. In fact, high blood pressure is a silent killer as it is mostly symptomless. The only way to monitor high blood pressure is through regular checkups. Regular checkups are even more important if you have a close relative with high blood pressure.

These are the most common signs and symptoms of extremely high blood pressure. If you have any of these symptoms, see your Banner health professional immediately:

• Fatigue or confusion
• Pounding in chest, neck, or ears
• Irregular heartbeat

How To Make Lemon Water To Lower Blood Pressure

Lowering blood pressure can be accomplished by using both the juice and the peel of lemons or limes. Before and after your stroll, add a squeeze of lemon to your water bottle. Its possible that youll gain greater benefit from one than the other. Consult your doctor if you are using blood pressure medications or any other medications.

Get yourself into a quiet space and take some time to relax. If you find yourself in a busy area, seek refuge in a quiet room as soon as possible.

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Causes And Risk Factors

You may be at an increased risk for high blood pressure if you smoke, areoverweight, eat a diet thats low on produce and fiber and/or high in fatand salt, drink alcohol to excess, live with chronic stress or dont getmuch physical activity. Some causes of hypertension cannot becontrolledincluding your genes and your race . Aging also plays a role. Even if you do not have hypertensionby age 55 to 65, your lifetime risk for developing it is a whopping 90percent.

But doctors no longer consider hypertension inevitable or untreatable withage, saysSamuel Durso, M.D.,director of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at JohnsHopkins.

In one Johns Hopkins study of 975 older women and men with hypertension,healthy lifestyle steps helped 40 percent stop taking blood pressuremedications. Other research has shown that lifestyle changes can lower therisk for hypertension in African-Americans and others at an increasedgenetic risk.

What Do Blood Pressure Numbers Mean

Blood pressure is measured using two numbers:

The first number, called systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.

The second number, called diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart rests between beats.

If the measurement reads 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, you would say, 120 over 80, or write, 120/80 mmHg.

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What Is High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the force of your blood as it flows through the arteries in your body. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. When your heart beats, it pushes blood through your arteries. As the blood flows, it puts pressure on your artery walls. This is called blood pressure.

High blood pressure happens when your blood moves through your arteries at a higher pressure than normal. Many different things can cause high blood pressure. If your blood pressure gets too high or stays high for a long time, it can cause health problems. Uncontrolled high blood pressure puts you at a higher risk for stroke, heart disease, heart attack, and kidney failure.

There are 2 types of high blood pressure.

Primary hypertension. This is also called essential hypertension. It is called this when there is no known cause for your high blood pressure. This is the most common type of hypertension. This type of blood pressure usually takes many years to develop. It probably is a result of your lifestyle, environment, and how your body changes as you age.

Secondary hypertension. This is when a health problem or medicine is causing your high blood pressure. Things that can cause secondary hypertension include:

• Kidney problems.
• Thyroid or adrenal gland problems.
• Some medicines.

Who Is At Risk Of High Blood Pressure

The NHS website says you are more at risk of high blood pressure if you:

• are over the age of 65
• are overweight
• are of African or Caribbean descent
• have a relative with high blood pressure
• eat too much salt and do not eat enough fruit and vegetables
• do not do enough exercise
• drink too much alcohol or coffee
• smoke

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How Can You Reduce Your Risk Of High Blood Pressure

Fortunately, there are certain things you can do to help reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure. These include the following:

• Eat right: A healthy diet is an important step in keeping your blood pressure normal. The DASH diet emphasizes adding fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your diet while reducing the amount of sodium. Since its rich in fruits and vegetables, which are naturally lower in sodium than many other foods, the DASH diet makes it easier to eat less salt and sodium.
• Keep a healthy weight: Going hand-in-hand with a proper diet is keeping a healthy weight. Since being overweight increases your blood pressure, losing excess weight with diet and exercise will help lower your blood pressure to healthier levels.
• Cut down on salt: The recommendation for salt in your diet is to have less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day . To prevent hypertension, you should keep your salt intake below this level. Don’t forget that most restaurant foods and many processed and frozen foods contain high levels of salt. Use herbs and spices that do not contain salt in recipes to flavor your food do not add salt at the table.
• Keep active: Even simple physical activities, such as walking, can lower your blood pressure .
• Drinkalcoholin moderation: Having more than one drink a day and two drinks a day can raise blood pressure.

Regular Blood Pressure Checks If Diagnosed With High Blood Pressure

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, your blood pressure will need to be closely monitored until it is brought under control.

After your blood pressure has been controlled, your GP or practice nurse will measure your blood pressure at agreed regular intervals .

It is important you attend these appointments to ensure your blood pressure is being maintained within an acceptable range.

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What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

One in three adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure and many dont even know it. How can this be? Because high blood pressure rarely has any symptoms.

High blood pressure or hypertension is known as a silent disease because you may not feel any symptoms at all, says Priscilla Bullen, FNP-BC, of Riverside Primary Care Hidenwood. It increases your risk of heart disease, heart failure, stroke and heart attack.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against your blood vessel walls. High blood pressure is when that force is higher than normal. It often has no signs or symptoms and can lead to other health problems if its not treated.

What If Lifestyle Changes Dont Help Lower My Blood Pressure

If diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes dont work to lower your blood pressure, your healthcare provider will prescribe medications to help lower your blood pressure. Your provider will take into account other conditions you may have, such as heart or kidney disease and other drugs youre taking when prescribing medications to treat your high blood pressure. Be sure to follow your providers dosing directions exactly.

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When You Drink Lemon Water Every Day You May Lose Weight

Perhaps youâve seen an Instagram influencer point out how they drink #lemonwater every morning or a celebrity praise the health benefits of water with fresh lemon in it and wondered if they were on to something. Well, it turns out they might be. Not only does lemon water taste refreshing, it could also aid in weight loss.

That isnât to say that drinking glass after glass of lemon water every day is going to magically help you drop ten pounds, but there are several things that you may experience when drinking lemon water that could lead to losing weight.

For instance, drinking lemon water keeps you hydrated, which one 2016 study published by Frontiers inNutrition linked to weight loss. Additionally, Healthline reported that lemon water helps to boost your metabolism, which is backed up by a 2011 study from the Exercise, Nutrition and Lifestyle Clinic at The Edmond and Lily Safra Childrenâs Hospital in Israel. Add in the fact that lemon water is low in calories, and youâve got yourself a healthy drink that can help keep some extra pounds at bay.

Hypertension: What You Need To Know As You Age

You cant see high blood pressure, also called hypertension. And most ofthe time, you cant feel it. But if youre among the 78 million Americanswith hypertension or are one of the 70 million with prehypertension, its important to understandits effects on your healthand to take action today to bring your numbersdown to healthier levels.

Blood pressure is the force of blood against the inner walls of yourarteries. It has normal fluctuations throughout the dayfalling when yourerelaxed or asleep, rising naturally in the morning, and increasingtemporarily when youre under stress, excited or exercising. But when yourresting blood pressure level rises too high, it can scar, stiffen and/orweaken blood vessels. This effect can double your risk for aheart attack quadruple your odds for astroke raise your risk forheart failure, vision loss, kidney problems,dementiaand circulation problems such asperipheral artery disease weaken your bones and contribute toerectile dysfunctionin men.

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What Medications Are Used To Treat High Blood Pressure

Four classes of high blood pressure medications are considered first line when starting treatment. Sometimes other medications are coupled with these first-line drugs to better control your high blood pressure. First-line, pressure-lowering medications are:

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors block the production of the angiotensin II hormone, which the body naturally uses to control blood pressure. When angiotensin II is blocked, your blood vessels dont narrow. Examples: lisinopril , enalapril or captopril.
• Angiotensin II receptor blockers block this same hormone from binding with receptors in the blood vessels. ARBs work the same way as ACE inhibitors to keep blood vessels from narrowing. Examples: metoprolol , valsartan or losartan.
• Calcium channel blockers prevent calcium from entering the muscle cells of your heart and blood vessels, allowing these vessels to relax. Examples: amlodipine , nifedipine , diltiazem .
• Diuretics flush excess sodium from your body, reducing the amount of fluid in your blood. Diuretics are often used with other high blood pressure medicines, sometimes in one combined pill. Examples: indapamide, hydrochlorothiazide or chlorothiazide.

How Is Blood Pressure Measured

Health care providers measure blood pressure with a cuff that wraps around the upper arm or the leg in babies. When the cuff inflates, it squeezes a large artery, stopping the blood flow for a moment. Blood pressure is measured as air is slowly let out of the cuff, which lets blood flow through the artery again.

Blood pressure is measured in two numbers:

The pressure when the heart pumps.

The pressure when the heart rests between beats.

You hear blood pressure reported as the first number “over” the second number, like 120 over 80 or 120/80.

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What Questions Should I Ask My Provider

• Are there supplements or non-prescription medicines that I shouldnt take?
• Can I keep taking these medicines if I get pregnant?
• What kinds of exercise should I do?

A note from Cleveland Clinic

If you dont treat high blood pressure, it can put you at risk for developing serious illnesses later in life such as heart attack, kidney failure and stroke. But if you follow your providers instructions, you can control your blood pressure. Be sure to take any medicines your provider ordered as instructed. Keep taking them even if your blood pressure numbers begin to fall into the normal range. Living a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy foods, watching your weight and getting regular exercise is also a great way to help control your blood pressure.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 09/21/2021.

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