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If you have ever been to see a doctor, then you have had your blood pressure taken, usually by a nurse before your appointment begins. You might have to remove your arm from a bulky sleeve and sit with your legs uncrossed in front of you. The healthcare professional then places a cuff around your upper arm and inflates it. As the arm cuff slowly deflates, he or she will listen to your pulse with a stethoscope while watching a gauge on the cuff which measures the pressure inside your veins in a scale of units called millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Home blood pressure measuring devices and those at pharmacies use the same basic principles to measure blood pressure.
When finished, you will have your blood pressure reading given to you as two numbers, for example 120/70 mm Hg (read: 120 over 70 millimeters of mercury). To understand what your blood pressure readings mean, you need to know a little anatomy, the difference between the two numbers and also which readings would be considered low, normal or high.
When your heart beats, it pushes blood through your arteries and veins, delivering the oxygen and nutrients your body’s cells need to function. Respectively, the systolic and diastolic numbers record the amount of pressure your blood exerts onto the walls of your arteries when the heart pumps and when it relaxes between beats.
With age, a person’s systolic blood pressure will steadily rise due to the long-term build up of plaque, large arteries which begin to harden and the increasing frequency of age-related cardiovascular disease. A high systolic number is usually considered more serious than a high diastolic number. Both, however, can be serious and should be addressed. According to the American Heart Association, “the risk of death from ischemic heart disease and stroke doubles with every 20 mm Hg systolic or 10 mm Hg diastolic increase among people from age 40 to 89.”
On its own, your blood pressure reading doesn’t mean much. To understand how it relates to your health and if you have low, normal or high blood pressure (hypertension), you must compare your reading to a chart. The American Heart Association recognizes the following four blood pressure categories:
Before you can categorize your blood pressure, take a range of readings, using an at-home device to measure blood pressure at different times of day, after different levels of activity and before and after mealtimes. Now that you understand what blood pressure readings mean, talk with your doctor about steps you can take to lower your blood pressure and prevent future heart problems.
Your blood pressure reading describes the force with which blood exerts pressure on the walls of the veins and arteries in your body. High blood pressure (hypertension) puts sufferers at risk of serious health concerns including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, vision loss and more. If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, your doctor will work with you to determine a treatment plan composed of lifestyle adjustments, diet changes, exercise and, most likely, medication to help lower and regulate your blood pressure, preventing future health emergencies.
If you search for a list of blood pressure medications, an infinite number of varieties and brands seem to be available. These medications lower and regulate blood pressure in a lot of different ways, giving doctors plenty of avenues for treatment options. All blood pressure medications fall into a few basic categories:
Anytime your doctor prescribes medication or a combination of prescriptions for a treatment plan, it is important that you closely follow instructions. Neglecting prescription drug doses and schedule instructions can be dangerous. T
aking these medications improperly can render the drugs ineffective, create irregular blood pressure or even lower your blood pressure too drastically. Be sure to stick with the treatment plan recommended by your physician, clarify any uncertainties you might have, and talk to your doctor before making changes to your prescription medication regimen.
A scary condition, high blood pressure (hypertension) can lead to deadly complications. What’s really scary, though, is that most people do not even know they have it. Hypertension is sometimes called “the silent killer” because most often, people experience no symptoms until the condition has progressed far enough to damage health. High blood pressure feels like nothing.
Common misconceptions claim people with hypertension feel it. People believe they will experience nosebleeds, dizzy spells, insomnia, nervousness, blurred vision, chest pain, frequent headaches or shortness of breath. People think they will notice visible signs of hypertension in a flushed face and profuse perspiration. In most cases, however, people with hypertension experience no symptoms and have no idea blood pressure is dangerously high. Most individuals do not receive treatment until visiting a doctor for a completely different reason, only to be surprised by a high blood pressure reading.
If left unaddressed, high blood pressure can lead to serious, sometimes irreversible, problems:
Since the symptoms of high blood pressure typically do not present themselves until serious conditions have progressed, it is necessary to proactively monitor your blood pressure. To protect your health from the adverse effects of hypertension, attend regular blood pressure screenings through a local clinic or pharmacy or schedule regular health screenings with your family doctor.
Certain individuals might be at higher risk for developing high blood pressure, in which case more frequent screening and preventative measures might be prudent. Risk factors for developing high blood pressure include:
If you are at risk of developing hypertension, taking steps to monitor your blood pressure regularly and making healthy lifestyle choices can safeguard your wellbeing, longevity and quality of life from the complications of hypertension.
Under new guidelines from the American Heart Association, which classify blood pressure readings above 130/80 mmHg as high, nearly half of adults in the United States live with high blood pressure (hypertension). The condition can lead to life-threatening complications if left unaddressed. If you have been diagnosed with hypertension, then you are likely working with your doctor and taking medication to regulate your blood pressure. You can also manage blood pressure with the following adjustments to your lifestyle. In other words, you can lower blood pressure without medication.
It is possible to be skinny and have high blood pressure, but blood pressure readings tend to increase along with the number on the scale. If you have a high body mass index, change your eating habits and start exercising to lose weight and lower blood pressure.
Speaking of healthy diet, there are certain things that should be added and eliminated from your food. Avoid sodium, added sugar, refined carbohydrates and processed foods. Fill your diet with fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains that are rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium. Savor a piece of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate for dessert to dilate blood vessels, lowering blood pressure.
Moving your body strengthens your heart, making it more efficient at pumping blood which lowers blood pressure. Aim for 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (think running) or 150 minutes of moderate activity (think walking) each week. The more you move, the stronger your heart.
Moderate alcohol consumption (one drink per day for women and two for men) might improve heart health. Consuming any more, however, can have adverse effects, leading to increased blood pressure and other health concerns.
Each puff increases your blood pressure.
Everyone loves their morning coffee, but caffeine has been shown to increase blood pressure in some. Before you swear it off for good, test your tolerance by sipping a cup and comparing before and 30-minute after blood pressure readings.
Anxiety releases stress hormones that help if you need to outrun a grizzly bear, but raise blood pressure over time. Try meditation, breathing exercises, calm music or taking lunch in the park.
Not getting enough shut-eye increases your risk of developing or worsening hypertension.
Whether in a supplement or in yogurt, probiotics have been associated with lowered blood pressure, reduced anxiety and more.
Look to your family, friends, new friends or a support group to surround yourself with like-minded people living a healthy lifestyle. Witnessing others’ successes will encourage you to stick to your plans, and when you achieve good health, you will have a group of friends ready to praise your efforts.
Although lifestyle adjustments can seriously improve your health and lower your blood pressure, you should not stop taking your medication or alter scheduling or dosage without first consulting your physician. Stay in touch with your doctor and monitor your blood pressure at home while beginning a new diet or exercise routine to keep your overall health in check.
If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension), then you probably have also been made aware of its risks, which include serious health events like stroke, heart failure, heart attacks and kidney disease. To avoid these grave conditions and improve your health, it is necessary to lower your high blood pressure to a healthier number. How high blood pressure is treated, the target blood pressure reading and seriousness of hypertension depend greatly on the patient’s age, medical history, lifestyle and other health conditions.
Hypertension treatments generally fall into three categories:
After an initial high blood pressure reading and hypertension diagnosis, your healthcare provider will likely discuss making some adjustments to your overall lifestyle. These healthy habits will include things like:
The type of lifestyle you lead and habits you form have a surprisingly powerful effect on your health. Although forming new, healthy habits can be a tough change to make, doing so could ultimately save and improve your life.
Depending on your specific blood pressure reading, current health, medical history, age and family medical history, your doctor might prescribe you a medication to help regulate and lower your blood pressure. Several types of hypertension medications exist, and they work in different ways to manage blood pressure. These include:
These anti-hypertensive medications will not cure high blood pressure, but they all work in different ways to lower and regulate blood pressure. Some patients require a combination of medications to effectively manage high blood pressure, and doctors work with patients through a trial and error process to identify which medications and doses will work best to effectively manage each patient’s individual case of hypertension.
For some people, high blood pressure is completely related to lifestyle, age or genetics. For others, hypertension is a symptom of an underlying condition. With the latter group, hypertension is most successfully treated by addressing the primary health problem. Medical conditions which can cause hypertension include:
In addition to treatment for an underlying condition or perhaps changing a medication, your doctor will probably recommend making lifestyle adjustments and also might prescribe medication to manage your blood pressure while you undergo treatment for the condition that is responsible for raising your blood pressure readings.
Once you begin a treatment plan for high blood pressure, you will likely be asked to schedule regular monthly check up appointments with your doctor until you reach a regulated healthy blood pressure reading. No matter the cause of your high blood pressure and the details of your hypertension treatment plan, following your doctor’s orders and prescription’s directions exactly as prescribed is essential to properly managing hypertension and preventing a more serious heart problem in the future. If you have any further questions on how is high blood pressure treated, do not hesitate to contact your doctor.