Wednesday, April 17, 2024
HomeWhat Does Elevated Blood Pressure Mean

What Does Elevated Blood Pressure Mean

Monitor Your Blood Pressure Regularly

Blood pressure: what is blood pressure?

The best way to prevent complications and avoid problems is to recognize hypertension early.

Keep a log of your blood pressure readings and take it to your regular doctor appointments. This can help your doctor see any possible problems before the condition advances.

People with hypertension can deliver healthy babies despite having the condition. But it can be dangerous to both the birthing parent and baby if its not monitored closely and managed during the pregnancy.

People with high blood pressure who become pregnant are more likely to develop complications . For example, pregnant women with hypertension may experience decreased kidney function. Babies born to birthing parents with hypertension may have a low birth weight or be born prematurely.

Some people may develop hypertension during their pregnancies. Several types of high blood pressure problems can develop. The condition often reverses itself once the baby is born. Developing hypertension during pregnancy may increase your risk for developing hypertension later in life.

What Does It Mean When Systolic Is High And Diastolic Is Low

Isolated systolic hypertension is when your systolic blood pressure is high, but your diastolic blood pressure is normal. It can occur naturally with age or can be caused by a variety of health conditions including anemia and diabetes. ISH should still be treated even though your diastolic pressure is normal.

Managing High Blood Pressure Stage 2 Is A Commitment

If you have High Blood Pressure Stage 2, its vital you listen to your doctor. Remember you are a part of your healthcare team.

You and your doctor are partners. Educate yourself about High Blood Pressure Stage 2 and learn how to monitor your blood pressure at home. Armed with this information, you can commit to living heart healthy.

Don’t Miss: High Blood Pressure Symptoms Mayo Clinic

You Shouldn’t Ignore White Coat Hypertension

Some people experience white coat hypertension, when blood pressure is elevated in the doctor’s office but not in other settings. These patients need to monitor their blood pressure at home or wear an ambulatory blood pressure monitor that takes your blood pressure every 30 minutes for 24 hours.

While white coat hypertension was formerly considered simple nervousness, recent research suggests otherwise.

A study published in the journal Hypertension found that people with white coat hypertension are at a significantly greater risk for developing sustained high blood pressure than people who have normal blood pressure. One possible explanation is that people with white coat hypertension have a harder time managing stress and anxiety.

How Can You Manage Your High Blood Pressure

What does your blood pressure mean for your health ...

Treatment of high blood pressure often starts with lifestyle changes, including decreasing salt in your diet, losing weight if necessary, stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol use, and regular exercise.

In addition to lifestyle changes, medications are often used to lower blood pressure. There are several types of medications that treat high blood pressure with each type of medication having benefits and risks that should be carefully weighed by you and your health care provider. Most people take more than one medication in order to bring their blood pressure down to their treatment goal.

Your blood pressure medication should begin to work within days. However, because high blood pressure is a long-lasting medical condition that often has little or no symptoms, remembering to take your medications can be a challenge. Combination medicines, long-acting or once-a-day medications, may be used to decrease the burden of taking numerous medications and help ensure medications regularly. Once started, the medication should be used until your doctor tells you to stop.

Controlling your blood pressure should be part of a healthy living plan and lifelong task. The damage that high blood pressure causes your internal organs does not cause any symptoms until serious damage has been done.

You May Like: Symptom Of High Blood Pressure

What’s The Difference Between Blood Pressure And Pulse

While your blood pressure is the force of your blood moving through your blood vessels, your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute.

  • They are two separate measurements and indicators of health.
  • For people with high blood pressure , theres no substitute for measuring blood pressure.

Reduce And Manage Stress

The body releases chemicals and hormones that can narrow the blood vessels temporarily when we are under stress. Stress also gets our heart beating faster. Long-term stress is thought to increase the risk of getting heart problems, such as stroke and heart attacks. Taking time to relax and practice stress-reducing exercises can be very helpful.

Also Check: High Blood Pressure Muscle Pain

What Does A Normal Blood Pressure But High Pulse Mean

High Blood Pressure is a silent and fatal disease. Medical experts claim hypertension is silent as you can live with it for years without knowing you have hypertension. Equally, hypertension is purported to be deadly as you can experience sudden death because of high blood pressure complications such as aneurysm, stroke, cardiac arrest, and so on. What Does A Normal Blood Pressure But High Pulse Mean

Furthermore, professionals show that millions of Americans have undiscovered hypertension while many more are at risk of developing hypertension. While health providers suggest getting a full medical examination a minimum of two times a year, lots of people can not get routine check-ups.

Virtually half of American adults have hypertension, and many do not even recognize they have it.

What if I informed you there was a method to reduce your blood pressure normally, without any prescription meds and the adverse effects from them. Well there is such a product, it is called Arteris Plus!

What Are The Treatments For High Blood Pressure

Understanding Blood Pressure (Subtitles)

Treatments for high blood pressure include heart-healthy lifestyle changes and medicines.

You will work with your provider to come up with a treatment plan. It may include only the lifestyle changes. These changes, such as heart-healthy eating and exercise, can be very effective. But sometimes the changes do not control or lower your high blood pressure. Then you may need to take medicine. There are different types of blood pressure medicines. Some people need to take more than one type.

If your high blood pressure is caused by another medical condition or medicine, treating that condition or stopping the medicine may lower your blood pressure.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Recommended Reading: Apple Smartwatch Blood Pressure

Your High Systolic Blood Pressure Numbers

Doctors list high blood pressure by the millimeters of mercury, or mmHg. They calculate this using a device called a sphygmomanometer.

The first number listed is the systolic blood pressure and the second is the diastolic pressure. If your doctor has told you that you have high systolic pressure, this indicates that the pressure is above 120. Those with a high systolic pressure have pressure over 80.

Can High Blood Pressure Be Prevented Or Avoided

If your high blood pressure is caused by lifestyle factors, you can take steps to reduce your risk:

  • Lose weight.
  • Reduce your alcohol consumption.
  • Learn relaxation methods.

If your high blood pressure is caused by disease or the medicine you take, talk to your doctor. He or she may be able to prescribe a different medicine. Additionally, treating any underlying disease can help reduce your high blood pressure.

Recommended Reading: Blood Pressure Side Effects

High Blood Pressure Symptoms You Shouldnt Ignore

Caregiver Duties Aging & Health

If youre worried about developing high blood pressure or youve already been diagnosed with this condition, you may be wondering what symptoms to watch out for.

While the symptoms described here may indicate a high blood pressure crisis, its also very important to understand that a persons blood pressure can be dangerously high and yet there are no symptoms at all, notes retired emergency physician Ben Hippen. This is why high blood pressure is sometimes called the silent killer.

For this reason, its important to monitor your blood pressure often. When youre at your doctors office, or even at the pharmacy, take a few minutes to stick your arm in the cuff and get a reading. If you can afford it and will actually use it, a home blood pressure monitor is a worthwhile investment.

What Does Elevated Blood Levels Mean

High blood pressure: Like an over

Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!

Ask U.S. doctors your own question and get educational, text answers â it’s anonymous and free!

HealthTap doctors are based in the U.S., board certified, and available by text or video.

Also Check: Claritin D High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

Women who do not have high blood pressure before pregnancy may develop gestational hypertension or preeclampsia during pregnancy. Gestational hypertension is high blood pressure that develops in pregnancy. Gestational hypertension generally develops after week 20 of pregnancy. If not properly managed, it may develop into preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is elevated blood pressure and the leakage of protein into the urine by the kidneys. Preeclampsia can be dangerous to both mother and baby. High blood pressure during pregnancy may lead to decreased blood flow to the placenta, placental abruption, premature delivery, or future cardiovascular disease. After the baby is born, high blood pressure during pregnancy usually returns to normal levels.

Stroke And Brain Problems

High blood pressure can cause the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain to burst or be blocked, causing a stroke. Brain cells die during a stroke because they do not get enough oxygen. Stroke can cause serious disabilities in speech, movement, and other basic activities. A stroke can also kill you.

Having high blood pressure, especially in midlife, is linked to having poorer cognitive function and dementia later in life. Learn more about the link between high blood pressure and dementia from the National Institutes of Healths Mind Your Risks®external icon campaign.

Also Check: Long Term Effect Of High Blood Pressure

Set Weight Loss Goals

If your doctor has recommended you lose weight, talk with them about an optimal weight loss goal for you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a weight loss goal of one to two pounds a week. This can be achieved through a more nutritious diet and increased physical exercise.

Employing the help of a trainer or fitness app, and possibly even a dietician, are all methods to help you learn how to make the best choices for your body and your lifestyle.

Should I Be Concerned About Having High Blood Pressure And A Low Pulse

High Blood Pressure: Definition and Treatment

If youre taking blood pressure medication and have slightly high blood pressure and a low pulse, this generally isnt anything to be concerned about.

But if youre not taking any medication, its best to work with a doctor to figure out whats going on. This is especially true if you have symptoms of a low pulse, such as dizziness or shortness of breath.

The typical range of 60 to 100 beats per minute is both the average pulse measurement as well as the rate at which most peoples heart needs to beat to pump enough blood through their body.

Some people may simply have a lower pulse. Examples include athletes or those in very good shape. Theyve conditioned their heart muscle to be stronger. As a result, their heart pumps more effectively, meaning it doesnt need to beat as often. Learn more about why athletes have lower pulses.

Exercising can also temporarily raise your blood pressure. So, if you exercise regularly, you may have a naturally low pulse and higher blood pressure right after you work out.

Read Also: Can Iwatch Monitor Blood Pressure

Why Is Hypertension An Important Issue In Low

The prevalence of hypertension varies across regions and country income groups. The WHO African Region has the highest prevalence of hypertension while the WHO Region of the Americas has the lowest prevalence of hypertension .

The number of adults with hypertension increased from 594 million in 1975 to 1.13 billion in 2015, with the increase seen largely in low- and middle-income countries. This increase is due mainly to a rise in hypertension risk factors in those populations.

Common Causes Of High Blood Pressure Spikes

Some people with high blood pressure will experience sharp rises in their blood pressure. These spikes, which typically last only a short period of time, are also known as sudden high blood pressure. These are some possible causes:

  • Caffeine
  • Certain medications or combinations of medications
  • Chronic kidney disease

Read Also: Can Claritin Raise Blood Pressure

Prehypertension: A Little Too Much Pressure A Lot Of Trouble

Everyone needs some blood pressure so that blood can get to all of the bodys organs. But how much is enough? How much is too much?

High blood pressure is often called the silent killer, because it usually doesn’t cause symptoms. High blood pressure is also known as hypertension. It points to a higher risk of having heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. Doctors have known for a long time that blood pressure that is too high can cause these problems. But now doctors know that if it is even a little too high, it should be noticed.

When you visit a doctor for your annual checkup, your blood pressure will be taken. Blood pressure is measured by a machine with a band wrapped around your arm. The measure will tell if the blood pressure is normal, low, high, or somewhere in between. It is considered prehypertension when it doesnt quite reach the level of high blood pressure, but it is higher than normal.

Prehypertension can serve as an early warning for patients and doctors. It is a sign of possible changes that could lead to heart disease. The pressure caused by constant prehypertension can change blood vessels and the heart in a damaging way. Prehypertension can also stress the kidneys.

A single blood pressure reading does not predict heart and blood vessel disease . You won’t be diagnosed with hypertension or prehypertension until it is high on several occasions. A blood pressure reading higher than normal will need to be carefully monitored.

Whats The Relationship Between High Blood Pressure And Low Pulse

Consequences of High Blood Pressure

To consider how your pulse and blood pressure can affect each other, think of your pulse as an electrical system and your blood pressure as plumbing.

Your pulse is mostly controlled by electrical impulses. These impulses travel through your heart, telling the chambers to beat in even time. Exercise, stress, fear, and other factors can speed up your pulse. Being sedentary can slow it down.

This electrical system stimulates the pumping motion that propels your hearts plumbing system. When the pipes, or blood vessels, arent blocked, blood easily flows through them.

If your blood vessels are narrow or have some kind of obstruction, your heart has to either squeeze harder or beat faster to pump blood. This results in high blood pressure.

When your blood pressure and pulse are out of balance, it strains your heart. You might also experience a range of symptoms, including:

  • confusion

Several things can cause a combination of high blood pressure and low pulse.

Also Check: What Makes Your Bp High

What Is A Pulmonary Hypertension

Abnormally elevated pressure in the pulmonary circulation is referred to as pulmonary hypertension. This condition affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart.

Pulmonary Hypertension Causes

Pulmonary hypertension is caused by changes in the cells that line the pulmonary arteries. These changes cause the walls of the arteries to become stiff and thick, extra tissue may also form. This can reduce or block blood flow through the blood vessels. Increased blood pressure is then caused because it is harder for blood to flow. Pulmonary hypertension can be an associated condition with scleroderma, sarcoidosis, pulmonary embolism, and dermatomyositis.

Pulmonary Hypertension Symptoms

Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension may not present themselves for months or years. Later on, symptoms become worse. Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension may include:

  • Fatigue
  • Diuretics
  • Oxygen

Atrial septostomy and transplantation are surgical treatments that may control pulmonary hypertension, if medications are unsuccessful.

Can Exercise Help Lower High Blood Pressure

Exercise and physical activity help lower blood pressure by helping you lose weight and keeping your heart and blood vessels in good condition.

Weight loss achieved through diet and exercise helps control factors such as blood sugar, and other complications of obesity. Avoiding these complications helps lower blood pressure and prevent high blood pressure.

Consult your doctor before starting any new exercise program. Cardiovascular activities including walking, jogging, biking, or swimming for 30 to 45 minutes per day can help lower blood pressure.

Don’t Miss: High Blood Pressure And Shaking

What Are The Different Types Of High Blood Pressure

There are two main types of high blood pressure: primary and secondary high blood pressure.:

  • Primary, or essential, high blood pressure is the most common type of high blood pressure. For most people who get this kind of blood pressure, it develops over time as you get older.
  • Secondary high blood pressure is caused by another medical condition or use of certain medicines. It usually gets better after you treat that condition or stop taking the medicines that are causing it.

Blood Pressure Is Linked To Other Medical Issues

High Blood Pressure: How to Understand the Numbers

High blood pressure can be the first indication of a serious underlying condition. When a patient comes in with high blood pressure, doctors will check their urine and kidney function do an electrocardiogram to check the size of the heart and look for lung changes.

Stress on the blood vessels makes people with hypertension more prone to heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and aneurysms. Correspondingly, chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, sleep apnea and high cholesterol increase the risk for developing high blood pressure.

In some women, pregnancy can contribute to high blood pressure, leading to preeclampsia. Postpartum blood pressure typically goes back to normal levels within six weeks. However, some women who have high blood pressure during more than one pregnancy may be more likely to develop high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases as they age.

Some of these medical issues can also cause spikes in high blood pressure .

Recommended Reading: Does High Blood Pressure Go Away

RELATED ARTICLES

Popular Articles