Why Does High Blood Pressure Happen

What Is Blood Pressure

Your heart pumps blood around your body through a network of vessels called arteries. With each heartbeat the blood pushes against the artery walls. The strength of this ‘pushing’ is your blood pressure .

Your blood pressure changes throughout the day. It’s lower when you’re asleep or relaxing and goes up when you move around. It can also be increased by stress or extreme emotions and stimulants like nicotine or caffeine.

Some people’s blood pressure stays above recommended levels. This is known as high blood pressure . This can lead to damaged arteries and increase your risk of:

• kidney and eye damage.

This can happen for a range of reasons and there’s a number of things you can do to reduce your 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.

How Is High Blood Pressure Controlled

These steps can help you control your blood pressure:

• Take prescribed medicine exactly as directed by your healthcare provider

• Choose foods that are low in sodium

• Choose foods low in calories and fat

• Choose foods high in fiber

• Maintain a healthy weight, or losing weight if overweight

• Limit serving sizes

• Increase physical activity

• Reduce or omit alcoholic beverages

Sometimes daily medicine is needed to control high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, have your blood pressure checked routinely and see your healthcare provider to monitor the condition.

Also Check: How To Switch Blood Pressure Meds From Morning To Night

Heart Failure From High Blood Pressure

As the damage left by high blood pressure restricts blood flow, the heart is forced to work harder than ever to provide the body with adequate circulation. Eventually, all this hard work can cause thickening or stiffening of the heart, further impeding its capabilities. As the heart becomes weaker, heart failure can result.

While the type of heart failure can vary, it is most commonly seen as an enlarged left ventricle with signs of fluid build-up throughout the body. Symptoms often include shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling of the ankles, legs, feet, abdomen, or veins in the neck.

Without fully understanding the potential dangers and health concerns, it can be difficult to appreciate why early and effective treatment of high blood pressure is so crucial. The damaging effects may not be immediately obvious, but complications can lurk, unseen for years. Preventative measures for those at risk and proactive care for diagnosed patients can help curb these risks and protect the heart and other vital organs from potentially irreparable damage.

If you are concerned about high blood pressure and the potentially deadly impact it can have on your heart, contact any location of Cardiovascular Institute of the South to schedule a consultation with one of our highly-trained and respected cardiologists.

Treating High Blood Pressure

Treatment for high blood pressure will depend on your blood pressure levels and your associated risk of developing a cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack or stroke.

There are seven main risk factors for developing a cardiovascular disease. These are:

• having a high level of cholesterol in your blood
• having a family history of cardiovascular disease .

Recommended Reading: Medicine To Lower Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure Threatens Your Health And Quality Of Life

In most cases, damage done from high blood pressure occurs over time. Left undetected or uncontrolled, high blood pressure can lead to:

• Heart attack High blood pressure damages arteries that can become blocked and prevent blood flow to the heart muscle.
• Stroke High blood pressure can cause blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the brain to become blocked or burst.
• Heart failure The increased workload from high blood pressure can cause the heart to enlarge and fail to supply blood to the body.
• Kidney disease or failure High blood pressure can damage the arteries around the kidneys and interfere with their ability to filter blood effectively.
• Vision loss High blood pressure can strain or damage blood vessels in the eyes.
• Sexual dysfunction High blood pressure can lead to erectile dysfunction in men and may contribute to lower libido in women.
• Angina Over time, high blood pressure can lead to heart disease including microvascular disease . Angina, or chest pain, is a common symptom.
• Peripheral artery disease Atherosclerosis caused by high blood pressure can lead to narrowed arteries in the legs, arms, stomach and head, causing pain or fatigue.

Download the consequences of HBP infographic: English | Spanish | Traditional Chinese

Living With High Blood Pressure

Controlling your high blood pressure is a lifelong commitment. You will always need to monitor your weight, make healthy food choices, exercise, learn to cope with stress, avoid smoking, and limit your alcohol intake. If you need medicine to control your high blood pressure, you will likely need it all your life.

Additionally, you will need to get used to regular blood pressure checks. Your doctor may want you to come to the office regularly. Or you may be asked to check your blood pressure at home and keep track of your numbers for your doctor. Some pharmacies and retail clinics have blood pressure machines on site. You can buy your own, automated arm blood pressure cuff for use at home. Your doctor may want you to check your blood pressure several times a day. Another option is to use an ambulatory blood pressure monitor.

Don’t Miss: Omron Blood Pressure Monitor Series 3

What Are The Risk Factors For High Blood Pressure

Nearly one-third of all Americans have high blood pressure, but it is particularly prevalent in:

• People who have diabetes, gout, or kidney disease

• African Americans

• People in their early to middle adult years men in this age group have higher blood pressure more often than women in this age group

• People in their middle to later adult years women in this age group have higher blood pressure more often than men in this age group

• Middle-aged and elderly people more than half of all Americans age 60 and older have high blood pressure

• People with a family history of high blood pressure

• People consuming a high salt diet

• Overweight people

• Women who are taking oral contraceptives

• People with depression

Learning To Cope With Stress Can Help

Stress and hypertension have often been linked, but researchers are still looking into a direct relationship between the two. Still, the best advice to hypertensive patients: Try to relax.

When you are stressed, your body sends stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. These hormones create a temporary spike in blood pressure, causing your heart to beat faster and blood vessels to narrow. When the stressful situation is over, blood pressure goes back to its normal level.

Chronic stress, however, may cause your body to stay in this highly-charged state longer than natural.

While stress itself may or may not affect blood pressure, how you cope with stress does. For instance, overeating, smoking and drinking alcohol in response to stressful situations are direct causes of sustained high blood pressure. On the flip side, healthier coping mechanisms like exercising, practicing yoga and meditating can all help lower blood pressure.

Don’t Miss: Can Birth Control Pills Cause High Blood Pressure

Your Best Protection Is Knowledge Management And Prevention

• Know your numbers. The best way to know if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.
• Understand the symptoms and risks. Learn what factors could make you more likely to develop high blood pressure and put you at risk for serious medical problems.
• Make changes that matter. Take steps to reduce your risk and manage your blood pressure. Make heart-healthy lifestyle changes, take your medication as prescribed and work in partnership with your health care professionals.

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.

Also Check: What Triggers 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.

What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

Most people who have high blood pressure do not have symptoms. This is why its sometimes called the silent killer. It is very important to have your blood pressure checked regularly.

Some people experience headaches, nosebleeds, or shortness of breath with high blood pressure. However, those symptoms can mimic many other things . Usually, these symptoms occur once blood pressure has reached a dangerously high level over a period of time.

Read Also: How To Take A Blood Pressure

About High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is usually defined as having a sustained blood pressure of 140/90mmHg or above.

The line between normal and raised blood pressure is not fixed and depends on your individual circumstances. However, most doctors agree that the ideal blood pressure for a physically healthy person is around 120/80mmHg.

A normal blood pressure reading is classed as less than 130/80mmHg.

Is High Blood Pressure Negative Feedback

Regulation of blood pressure is an example of negative feedback. Blood vessels have sensors called baroreceptors that detect if blood pressure is too high or too low and send a signal to the hypothalamus.

Why is high blood pressure known as the silent killer?

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.

What happens to your body with high blood pressure?

High blood pressure forces your heart to work harder to pump blood to the rest of your body. This causes part of your heart to thicken. A thickened left ventricle increases your risk of heart attack, heart failure and sudden cardiac death.

Recommended Reading: Is Pomegranate Juice Good For High Blood Pressure

Diagnosis Of High Blood Pressure

The best way to diagnose HBP is to have it measured. A blood pressure reading, given in millimeters of mercury , has two numbers.

• Systolic blood pressure indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls during heartbeats.
• Diastolic blood pressure indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart is resting between beats.

Blood pressure measurements fall into four general categories. The American Heart Associations guidelines are as follow:

• Normal blood pressure: A reading of less than 120 and 80
• Elevated blood pressure: A reading ranging from 120 to 129 and below 80
• Stage 1 hypertension: A reading ranging from 130 to 139 or 80 to 89
• Stage 2 hypertension: A reading ranging from 140 or higher or 90
• Hypertensive crisis : A reading higher than 180 and/or 120

*If you have an electronic blood pressure machine and would like to measure your blood pressure at home, please follow The American Heart Associations guidelines:

What Should I Do If I Have High Blood Pressure Before During Or After Pregnancy

Before Pregnancy

• Make a plan for pregnancy and talk with your doctor or health care team about the following:
• Any health problems you have or had and any medicines you are taking. If you are planning to become pregnant, talk to your doctor.7 Your doctor or health care team can help you find medicines that are safe to take during pregnancy.
• Ways to keep a healthy weight through healthy eating and regular physical activity.1,7

During Pregnancy

• Get early and regular prenatal careexternal icon. Go to every appointment with your doctor or health care professional.
• Talk to your doctor about any medicines you take and which ones are safe. Do not stop or start taking any type of medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, without first talking with your doctor.7
• Keep track of your blood pressure at home with a home blood pressure monitorexternal icon. Contact your doctor if your blood pressure is higher than usual or if you have symptoms of preeclampsia. Talk to your doctor or insurance company about getting a home monitor.
• Continue to choose healthy foods and keep a healthy weight.8

After Pregnancy

• Pay attention to how you feel after you give birth. If you had high blood pressure during pregnancy, you have a higher risk for stroke and other problems after delivery. Tell your doctor or call 9-1-1 right away if you have symptoms of preeclampsia after delivery. You might need emergency medical care.9,10

Recommended Reading: Can Low Blood Pressure Cause Fatigue

Blood Pressure Is Linked To Other Medical Issues

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 .

What Are Types Of High Blood Pressure Conditions Before During And After Pregnancy

Your doctor or nurse should look for these conditions before, during, and after pregnancy:1,11

Chronic Hypertension

Chronic hypertension means having high blood pressure* before you get pregnant or before 20 weeks of pregnancy.1 Women who have chronic hypertension can also get preeclampsia in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.1

Gestational Hypertension

This condition happens when you only have high blood pressure* during pregnancy and do not have protein in your urine or other heart or kidney problems. It is typically diagnosed after 20 weeks of pregnancy or close to delivery. Gestational hypertension usually goes away after you give birth. However, some women with gestational hypertension have a higher risk of developing chronic hypertension in the future.1,12

Preeclampsia/Eclampsia

Preeclampsia happens when a woman who previously had normal blood pressure suddenly develops high blood pressure* and protein in her urine or other problems after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Women who have chronic hypertension can also get preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia happens in about 1 in 25 pregnancies in the United States.1,13 Some women with preeclampsia can develop seizures. This is called eclampsia, which is a medical emergency.1,11

Symptoms of preeclampsia include:

Some women have no symptoms of preeclampsia, which is why it is important to visit your health care team regularly, especially during pregnancy.

You are more at risk for preeclampsia if:1

Read Also: Can Beet Juice Lower Blood Pressure

Bp Fix: Make More Plans With Friends

We are social beings and we need a certain amount of social interaction to function optimally, says Dr. Beniaminovitz. But if the idea of putting yourself out there seems impossible, start small. Send a friend a quick DM to say youre thinking of them, and see where things go. Combine physical activity and social time by committing to a weekly Saturday morning yoga class with a pal. Want to make new friends? Try volunteering to meet like-minded people.

Treatments For Renal Artery Stenosis

Initial treatment for renal artery stenosis is often medication. The condition may require three or more different drugs to control high blood pressure. Patients may also be asked to take other medications, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs and aspirin.

For a small number of people, an intervention such as angioplasty, often with stenting or surgery, may be recommended. With angioplasty, a catheter is inserted into the body through a blood vessel and guided to the narrowed or blocked renal artery. A balloon on the catheter is then inflated to open up the inside of the artery. A stent can then be placed to keep the area open.

Surgery to bypass the narrowed or blocked portion of the artery and/or remove a non-functioning kidney may be needed for some patients. But this procedure is not often done.

If you’re diagnosed with renal artery stenosis, it’s important to discuss the risks of the different treatments with your doctor. The side effects of blood pressure medications may include dizziness, sexual problems, headache, and cough. Complications of angioplasty include bruising, bleeding, additional kidney damage, and the possibility that the arteries can close again.

Show Sources

You May Like: How To Reduce High Blood Pressure Instantly