How Is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed In A Child
Your childâs healthcare provider will diagnose high blood pressure by checking your childâs blood pressure. The provider will check blood pressure over several days or weeks before making the diagnosis. Your childâs healthcare provider will also:
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Review your childâs health history, including diet, exercise, activities, and emotional health
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Review your family history
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Give your child a physical exam
Reliable blood pressure readings taken at home can be helpful in finding out if your child truly has high blood pressure. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring uses a device that can be worn for 24 hours. It takes multiple blood pressure readings and can help get a more accurate reading of overall blood pressure.
Your childâs provider may also order tests. These may include:
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Electrocardiogram , to check your childâs heart rhythm
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Echocardiogram , to check your childâs heart anatomy and function as well as any narrowing of the aorta
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Causes Of Secondary Hypertension
When high blood pressure arises suddenly due to an identifiable condition, its called secondary hypertension.
Some conditions and drugs can lead to secondary hypertension, including the following:
- Kidney problems
Examples include pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine .
HormonesBirth control pills can also affect blood pressure. Women who take birth control pills usually experience a small rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressure .
Hormone therapy used to relieve symptoms of menopause can also cause a small rise in systolic blood pressure.
If you know you have high blood pressure, but are considering hormone therapy, talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of undergoing hormone therapy, as well as the best ways to control your blood pressure.
Additionally, some recreational and illegal drugs, such as cocaine, ecstasy , and amphetamines, are also known to increase blood pressure.
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What If My Diastolic Is High But Systolic Is Normal
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.
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Can You Help Control Your Blood Pressure
Yes, you can help. There are three things you can do: have a more active lifestyle, make healthy food choices, and, if needed, take your medicine every day as it is prescribed. With prehypertension, some people can bring blood pressure down to normal through weight loss, exercise and other changes for a healthy lifestyle. Medications are used to control high blood pressure. Medicines may be recommended for some people with prehypertension who also have other diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease and coronary artery disease.
If you have slightly high blood pressure, your doctor may suggest these steps:
- lose weight if you are overweight,
- get regular physical activity,
- cut down on alcohol, and
- change your food choices to those with less salt and fat
A special eating plan called DASH can help you lower your blood pressure. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fatfree or lowfat milk and milk products, wholegrain products, fish, poultry, beans, seeds, and nuts. The DASH eating plan also contains less salt/sodium, sweets, added sugars, sugar containing beverages, fats, and red meats than the typical American diet.
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Highlights Of The Study
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A patient with very elevated systolic blood pressure and low diastolic blood pressure is difficult to treat if one strictly follows the guidelines, as sBP is a clear indication for antihypertensive treatment, but dBP 70 mm Hg is a relative contraindication.
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We suggest that an adequate search and analysis ought to be performed to solve this problem.
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Foods Can Have High Salt Content And Not Even Taste Salty
Foods that have high sodium content may not always taste salty. Salt can be hidden in foods such as salad dressings, soups, pasta sauces, cheeses, breads, and condiments. We all know potato chips are salty, but you may not know a bran muffin could contain more salt than the chips! This is why it’s important to read labels and check for sodium levels, and choose foods lower in salt.
When To Check Blood Pressure
- If your blood pressure is normal , get it checked every year, or more often as your doctor suggests.
- If your blood pressure is elevated — a systolic blood pressure between 120 and 129 or diastolic blood pressure of less than 80 — your doctor will probably want to check it every 3-6 months. They will probably recommend lifestyle changes like more exercise and a better diet.
- If you have stage 1 hypertension — 130-139 over 89-90 — the doctor might suggest lifestyle changes and see you again in 3-6 months. Or they could tell you to make the changes and give you medication, then recheck your condition in a month. It depends on what other health conditions or risk factors you have.
- If you have stage 2 hypertension — 140/90 or higher — youâll likely get medication. You’ll also need to make lifestyle changes and see the doctor again in a month.
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Can You Prevent It
Surely, you dont want to experience any of the conditions abovementioned. That is why the saying, Prevention is better than cure holds true for this kind of condition.
Fortunately, you can prevent high systolic low diastolic readings with the help of the following tips and tricks:
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Regularly monitor your blood pressure to help you check whether both systolic and diastolic are within the normal range.
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Exercise regularly
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Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol
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Maintain a healthy weight
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Minimize your salt intake
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Treat blood pressure-related conditions on the onset before it gets worse
The bottom line is to get treatment as soon as you can and dont wait for your condition to get worse. If you suspect that something is wrong with your body, it is best to consult a doctor for proper diagnosis. Consequently, he could prescribe medications and advice you to do certain things to normalize your blood pressure levels.
Dont self-diagnose. Blood pressure issues are no laughing matter. If you are not too careful, the worst that could happen is death.
What Do Your Blood Pressure Numbers Mean
Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood against the walls of your arteries. Blood pressure readings include two numbers. The first number is the systolic pressure . This is the force of blood on the artery walls as your heart pumps. The second number is the diastolic pressure . This is the force of blood on the artery walls between heartbeats.
If the top number stays high, or the bottom number stays high, or both, that means you have high blood pressure . It’s normal for blood pressure to go up and down throughout the day. Your doctor will give you a goal for your blood pressure.
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What Can I Take For Back Pain When On Blood Pressure Meds
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Doctors: Beware Of Low Diastolic Blood Pressure When Treating Hypertension
- Low diastolic blood pressure linked to heart damage. –
- Physicians, be aware of not dropping the bottom blood pressure number. –
- Overtreated high blood pressure could be dangerous in certain patients. –
The researchers caution that their findings cannot prove that very low diastolic blood pressure a measure of pressure in arteries between heartbeats when the heart is resting and also the lower number in a blood pressure reading directly causes heart damage, only that there appears to be a statistically significant increase in heart damage risk among those with the lowest levels of diastolic blood pressure.
A summary of the findings was published Aug. 30 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and coincides with the release of a similar analysis at the European Society of Cardiology Meeting by physicians from Hôpital Bichat in Paris, France.
Released last fall, the SPRINT trial showed protective cardiovascular benefits to patients when physicians aggressively treated high blood pressure down to 120/80 millimeters of mercury, with a primary emphasis on keeping systolic pressure the top number, representing arterial pressure when the heart is pumping at no more than 120.
Researchers followed the participants for 21 years in a series of five visits, with the last check-in in 2013. Each visit included blood pressure measurement, and several included blood testing.
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What Causes High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure usually develops over time. It can happen because of unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as not getting enough regular physical activity. Certain health conditions, such as diabetes and having obesity, can also increase the risk for developing high blood pressure. High blood pressure can also happen during pregnancy.
You can manage your blood pressure to lower your risk for serious health problems that may affect your heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.
Checking Blood Pressure At Home
Keeping track of blood pressure at home is important for many people, especially if you have high blood pressure. This helps you and your doctor find out if your treatment is working.
Your doctor may also suggest that you check your pressure at home if they think you may have “white coat hypertension.” It’s a real condition. The stress of being in a doctor’s office raises your blood pressure, but when you’re home, it’s normal.
Ask your doctor to recommend an easy-to-use home blood pressure monitor. Make sure the cuff fits properly. If your arm is too big for the cuff, the reading may be higher than your blood pressure really is. Ask your doctor for a larger cuff or make sure you buy a home monitor with a cuff that fits you.
You also can use a wrist blood pressure monitor, but they often aren’t as accurate. Follow the directions that come with the device to make sure you are using it correctly.
No matter which type of blood pressure monitor you have, it’s a good idea to take it to your doctor’s office. You can compare its reading to the numbers your doctor gets. Avoid caffeine, cigarettes, and exercise for at least 30 minutes before the test.
When you take your blood pressure at home, sit up straight in a chair and put both feet on the floor. Ask your doctor or nurse to show you the right way to position your arm so you get accurate readings.
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What Are The Medical Uses For Stimulants
Approved medical uses for stimulants include
- attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ,
- treatment-resistant depression.
- Some formulations are used for treating obesity.
Because of their addictive potential, some stimulants are no longer recommended for treating asthma and other nervous system disorders.
What Stimulant Drugs Are On The List Of Adhd Medications
Methylphenidate and or amphetamine derivatives are the two types of stimulants used for treating ADHD. Medications used for treating ADHD are available only by prescription. There are no OTC stimulants approved for treating ADHD. The following is a list of many brand and generic names of stimulants used for treating ADHD in children and adults:
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If You Need Two Medications
Many types of blood pressure drugs work best when taken together. When taking two drugs together, diuretics have been shown to lower blood pressure with a beta-blocker, ACE inhibitor and an ARB. A calcium channel blocker lowers blood pressure with the same drugs that work well with a diuretic. Other drug combinations are necessary when taking three or more blood pressure medications. There may be other reasons why your doctor may prescribe two blood pressure medications. For example, after heart attacks, doctors will prescribe a beta-blocker and an ACE inhibitor, but this is not primarily to reduce blood pressure.
What Can I Do To Prevent Or Manage High Blood Pressure
Many people with high blood pressure can lower their blood pressure into a healthy range or keep their numbers in a healthy range by making lifestyle changes. Talk with your health care team about
- Getting at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week
- Managing stress
Learn more about ways to manage and prevent high blood pressure.
In addition to making positive lifestyle changes, some people with high blood pressure need to take medicine to manage their blood pressure. Learn more about medicines for high blood pressure.
Talk with your health care team right away if you think you have high blood pressure or if youve been told you have high blood pressure but do not have it under control.
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How Do I Know If I Have High Blood Pressure
Theres only one way to know if you have high blood pressure: Have a doctor or other health professional measure it. Measuring your blood pressure is quick and painless.
Talk with your health care team about regularly measuring your blood pressure at home, also called self-measured blood pressure monitoring.
High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it usually has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not know they have it.
Your Blood Pressure Numbers And What They Mean
Your blood pressure is recorded as two numbers:
- Systolic blood pressure indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls when the heart beats.
- Diastolic blood pressure indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls while the heart is resting between beats.
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What Do Blood Pressure Numbers Mean
There are two sets of blood pressure numbers: systolic and diastolic. The top number of a blood pressure reading is called systolic. This means that your heart squeezes the hardest when it pumps blood through your blood vessels. Diastolic is the lower number. It is between each heartbeat. Your heart rests so it can fill with more blood.
Diastolic blood pressure is important because it gives us an idea of how well your heart is relaxing between each heartbeat, but the standard diastolic blood pressure number you hear about in most cases isnt exactly accurate for everyone. This person is on medication that slows down their metabolism. This means they will have a low pulse rate without any effort.
There are a few different ways to determine your diastolic blood pressure. You can get it done in the doctors office using an inflatable cuff, you could use one of those automated cuffs that take readings every time they sense your pulse or if you have access to home monitors then there is always that option as well. If you do not know what your blood pressure number is, ask your doctor.
Risk Factors For High Diastolic Blood Pressure
Certain risk factors have been identified for IDH. They are not a direct cause, but their presence increases the likelihood of developing IDH. Risk factors identified in the large Framingham Heart Study published in March 2005 in Circulation were younger age, being male and having overweight or obesity.
Indeed, this and other research indicate that IDH is more common than systolic or mixed hypertension in adults younger than 40. Additional risk factors for IDH reported in studies published in the July 2012 issue of the Indian Heart Journal and the December 2015 issue of PLoS One were:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- High coffee or tea consumption
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Endocrine And Kidney Conditions
An underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, is one of the more common secondary causes of IDH. As in primary hypertension, the elevated diastolic pressure is the result of excessive arteriolar narrowing.
Hypothyroidism may be suspected in a person with weight gain, fatigue and intolerance to the cold, but blood tests are required to confirm the diagnosis. Endocrine diseases producing high levels of aldosterone, parathyroid hormone or corticosteroids can also cause IDH.
Most diseases that damage the kidney can lead to IDH by reducing the ability of the kidneys to remove fluids from the body or by increasing the production of angiotensin. Renovascular hypertension, due to narrowing of the main artery leading to the kidneys, is another possible cause of IDH.