Having A Primary Care Provider Is Key To Lowering Your Risk Or Managing Your Hypertension
Aside from maintaining a healthy lifestyle that incorporates a nutrient-dense diet and regular exercise, having a primary care provider you trust is the best way to lower your risk of developing hypertension. When you have a primary care doctor, you can expect them to regularly check your blood pressure and notice when something is abnormal. They can also offer recommendations that will help you maintain normal blood pressure.
If you have a primary care provider, you can be sure that any signs of hypertension are caught early before it has too much time to damage your body and lead to something more serious, like cardiovascular disease. If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, a primary care provider can be your partner in managing your condition, too. Together, you two will create a plan to get your blood pressure under control which can be adjusted over time, if necessary. If you take any medication, your doctor can ensure that it’s working and help you manage any side effects so that it doesn’t interfere with your quality of life.
Getting Your Blood Pressure Checked Regularly Can Help You Stay On Top Of Your Health
Like other diseases, early detection of hypertension is critical to preventing long-term damage to your body. One of the best ways to maintain a healthy heart and stay on top of your blood pressure is to regularly get it checked by your primary care provider. That’s typically the first thing we’ll do at your appointment. You can also easily monitor your blood pressure at home.
A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers that measure how much pressure your blood exerts against the artery walls while the heart is beating and while the heart is at rest between beats . The top number is your systolic pressure and the bottom number is your diastolic pressure. The American Heart Association recognizes the following ranges to indicate whether your blood pressure is healthy or unhealthy.
- Normal: Less than 120 / less than 80 mm Hg
- Elevated: 120-129 / less than 80 mm Hg
- Hypertension : 130-139 / 80-89 mm Hg
- Hypertension : 140 or higher / 90 or higher mm Hg
- Hypertensive crisis: Higher than 180 / higher than 120 mm Hg
If you have elevated blood pressure, we’ll make a note of it and check it at subsequent appointments over the next few weeks. If you have high blood pressure readings on three separate occasions, your doctor will diagnose you with hypertension. If you ever have a critically high blood pressure reading, your doctor may diagnose you with severe hypertension which warrants immediate treatment.
What Are Common Symptoms Of Hypertension
Hypertension is called a “silent killer”. Most people with hypertension are unaware of the problem because it may have no warning signs or symptoms. For this reason, it is essential that blood pressure is measured regularly.
When symptoms do occur, they can include early morning headaches, nosebleeds, irregular heart rhythms, vision changes, and buzzing in the ears. Severe hypertension can cause fatigue, nausea, vomiting, confusion, anxiety, chest pain, and muscle tremors.
The only way to detect hypertension is to have a health professional measure blood pressure. Having blood pressure measured is quick and painless. Although individuals can measure their own blood pressure using automated devices, an evaluation by a health professional is important for assessment of risk and associated conditions.
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What Is Blood Pressure
When your heart pumps blood, the force of oxygenated blood pushes against the walls of the thick muscular tubes called arteries. Blood flows with this force through these tubes to various parts of your body. This force of blood is called blood pressure. When it happens to be too high, it becomes an illness known as high blood pressure. With the help of the BP equipment, your doctor actually reads two aspects of your blood pressure:
1. Systolic Pressure: Pressure of blood when your heart beats while pumping blood.2. Diastolic Pressure: Pressure of blood when your heart is at rest between beats.A blood pressure less than 120/80 mmHg for an adult is considered normal. The first number 120 indicates systolic pressure, and the second number 80 indicates diastolic pressure. You are called Pre hypertensive, if your systolic blood pressure is between 120-139 and diastolic pressure between 80-89. Blood pressure reading greater than 140/90 indicates hypertension.
What Do Blood Pressure Numbers Even Mean
The beats of your heart create pressure to pump blood through arteries throughout the body. This 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 between beats.1
When this pressure is continuously above this range its considered high, and that condition is known as hypertension. If left untreated, it can damage arteries, the heart and other organs and cause a variety of complications.
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Who Is At Risk For Hypertension
One in three adult Americans have hypertension. If left untreated, high blood pressure can cause heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and atrial fibrillation. At high risk are those over the age of 65 with existing conditions such as diabetes or a family history of high blood pressure.
There is a tendency to more hypertension in African-Americans, said Aaron Kay, MD, cardiologist with Franciscan Physician Network Indiana Heart Physicians in Lafayette. Men tend to get it at a younger ages than women.
/5a Person With High Blood Pressure May Be More Prone To A Stroke
As mentioned above, the chances of a stroke is much higher in a person suffering with high blood pressure. Increased levels of blood pressure can block or burst the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain, leading to a stroke.
Given that a stroke can occur without a warning, the only way to prevent it is by keeping a check on your blood pressure levels. A normal blood pressure reading is under 120/80 millimeters of mercury . Anything higher can mean you have hypertension. A high blood pressure reading is 140/90 mmHg and above.
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Can High Blood Pressure Affect Pregnancy
High blood pressure complicates about 10% of all pregnancies. There are several different types of high blood pressure during pregnancy and they range from mild to serious. The forms of high blood pressure during pregnancy include:
Chronic hypertension: High blood pressure which is present before pregnancy.
Gestational hypertension: High blood pressure in the latter part of pregnancy.
Preeclampsia: This is a dangerous condition that typically develops in the latter half of pregnancy and results in hypertension, protein in the urine and generalized swelling in the pregnant person. It can affect other organs in the body and cause seizures .
Chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia: Pregnant people who have chronic hypertension are at increased risk for developing preeclampsia.
Your provider will check your blood pressure regularly during prenatal appointments, but if you have concerns about your blood pressure, be sure to talk with your provider.
Getting Your Blood Pressure Checked
Because hypertension doesnt cause any symptoms until its extremely serious, most people with high blood pressure dont know they have it until a doctor tells them. The issue is that the longer your high blood pressure goes untreated, putting excess pressure on your artery walls, the greater your risk for all of the complications we just outlined.
Fortunately, getting your blood pressure checked is quick and easy. Here at our office, Dr. Zarreii can check it in minutes by simply placing a cuff around your arm.
If youre between 18 and 39 without a history of hypertension, you can get your blood pressure checked every few years. Once you turn 40, get it checked annually.
Dr. Zarreii makes a blood pressure check a routine part of all of his annual physicals. If he does discover that your blood pressure is too high, he works with you to develop a treatment plan.
For many people, high blood pressure can be effectively managed with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and stress management techniques. In more serious cases, Dr. Zarreii may also recommend medication to you.
Dont fall victim to this silent killer. To get your blood pressure checked, contact Zarreii Medical and Aesthetics by calling our office or requesting your appointment online today.
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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.
The Many Faces Of Hypertension
An estimated 10%-40% of patients not receiving antihypertensive medications may have normal BP in the clinic or doctors office but out-of-office measurements that indicate BP in the hypertensive range.4 These patients have masked hypertension and, compared with true normotensive persons, have more than a 3-fold increased risk of composite cardiovascular endpoint and a 2-fold increased risk of stroke.5 Kawano et al have identified three subtypes of masked hypertension to include a morning surge hypertension, daytime or worksite hypertension, and a night-time or nocturnal non-dipper masked hypertension.6 These subtypes and their clinical presentations have important implications for hypertension treatment and control.
Leveraging Phenotypes for Precision Health
The evidence now suggests that at least a dozen different phenotypes in primary hypertension can be identified using the combination of office or clinic BP, home BP, ambulatory daytime BP, ambulatory night-time BP, and the presence or absence of a normal nocturnal BP dipping. Despite these different phenotypes of hypertension, we tend to view patients with primary hypertension as a homogenous group. We also typically base long-term treatment strategies predominantly on the clinician-measured office BP although we have compelling evidence showing superiority of unattended clinic BP and out-of-office ambulatory BP measurements.2
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Taming The Silent Killer
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High blood pressure or BP or hypertension has been termed as the silent killer. It is essential to know in detail about this silent killer and take measures not to fall prey to it. The pressure in your blood varies depending on the type of work you are doing.
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What Should I Do If I Have High Blood Pressure
If your healthcare provider has diagnosed you with high blood pressure, they will talk with you about your recommended blood pressure target or goal. They may suggest that you:
- Check your blood pressure regularly with a home blood pressure monitor. These are automated electronic monitors and are available at most pharmacies or online.
- Quit smoking and/or using tobacco products.
- Work on controlling anger and managing stress.
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/5blood Pressure Levels Needs Regular Monitoring
High blood pressure or hypertension is one of the most dangerous conditions that can increase the risk of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases. As per the World Health Organization , an estimated 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years worldwide have hypertension.
There are many reasons behind why high blood pressure is popularly called a silent killer. Unlike diseases that are self-diagnosable and can be identified through early symptoms, hypertension can lead to sudden attacks and may even result in death. That said, here are some factors that make high blood pressure a serious illness, which needs special attention.
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/8stress May Be A Contributing Factor
There is a significant co-relation between stress and heart disease risks.
While festivals are the time you have the most fun, it is also a stressful phase. Theres a lot of planning, organizing and coordinating that goes into ensuring a perfect festive season. People may even experience sleepless nights, which only increases the level of cortisol in the body, the stress hormone that can also lead to weight gain.
According to the American Heart Association, During stress, your body releases stress hormones into the blood that prepare the body for the âfight or flight response.â Your heartâs beating faster and constricting blood vessels, which raises blood pressure temporarily, it adds.
Having said that, it is important to manage and reduce your stress levels, making sure it doesnt pose problems for your heart.
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What To Do When Your Blood Pressure Is High
The first step is to exclude secondary hypertension. The basic steps to follow would be early CHANGES IN LIFE STYLE: this includes 30 minutes of brisk walking or any moderate exercise, reduction of dietary salt by 50 % and reduction of 5 kg of body weight. By following these steps, mild increase in blood pressure can be controlled, without the need for medications.
If pressure remains high in spite of these measures or if the initial blood pressure itself is high, then you need medications.
Hypertension: Understanding A Silent Killer
Chronically high blood pressure or hypertension can cause damage to your blood vessels and internal organs including your heart. Currently affecting nearly half of adults in the United States, hypertension has been called a silent threat because the condition itself has no symptoms. However, the effect on your body can be life-threatening over time. Engaging in healthy lifestyle behaviors at all stages of life can help to decrease your risk.
What You Can Do about High Blood Pressure
The first thing you can do is visit your doctor for routine checkups. Even though high blood pressure rarely shows symptoms, the abnormal force of blood through the arteries, over time, can cause damage to your organs, including your heart, blood vessels and kidneys. Thus, chronic hypertension increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and other serious health issues.
Know your blood pressure and have it monitored. Regular physicals will determine if your blood pressure is within the healthy limits. A blood pressure of less than 120 over 80 is considered healthy. The top number, known as systolic pressure, often gets more attention when discussing the severity of high blood pressure. However, its important to keep both numbers in the healthy range. If necessary, your doctor will discuss treatment options and supportive health care. Meanwhile, a registered dietitian nutritionist can provide you with guidance on a healthy lifestyle to help lower your blood pressure.
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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.
What Do Blood Pressure Readings Mean
When a health worker wants to check your blood pressure, a manual sphygmomanometer with a stethoscope can be used. There are also electronic ones that are faster .
Normal blood pressure for both males and females are:
Males- 120/80 mmHg
Females- 110/70 mmHg
When the first number is greater than 130 mmHg, or if the second number is greater than 80, a person is said to have high blood pressure.
Note: Hypertension isnt diagnosed from just one blood pressure reading, it has to be repeatedly raised on blood pressure checks on different days before hypertension can be confirmed.
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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.
In Most Cases High Blood Pressure Does Not Cause Headaches Or Nosebleeds
- The best evidence indicates that high blood pressure does not cause headaches or nosebleeds, except in the case of hypertensive crisis, a medical emergency when blood pressure is 180/120 mm Hg or higher. If your blood pressure is unusually high AND you have headache or nosebleed and are feeling unwell, wait five minutes and retest. If your reading remains at 180/120 mm Hg or higher, call 911.
- If you are experiencing severe headaches or nosebleeds and are otherwise unwell, contact your doctor as they could be symptoms of other health conditions.
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