High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects the health of nearly half of all American adults. Fewer than one-quarter of these people actually receive active treatment. Are you one of them? If so, you need to keep hypertension under control to protect your health.
Do you know the symptoms of this chronic cardiovascular disease? If not, read on to find out.
Symptoms of High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure develops when the blood coursing through your arteries pushes too hard against the blood vessels walls. This additional pressure and stress on the artery walls can be measured by a healthcare provider during an in-office physical exam.
Surprising to most people, however, is this fact: high blood pressure has no appreciable symptoms, which patients themselves can detect. Nicknamed “the silent killer,” hypertension can lead to acute and chronic health problems, such as heart attack, stroke, coronary artery disease, kidney disease, and more.
Factors Contributing to High Blood Pressure
While hypertension is not inevitable, the chances of developing it rise over time. That being said, blood pressure can increase, and stay elevated, if you:
- Have diabetes
- Are overweight or obese
- Experience high levels of chronic stress
- Eat a high-salt, high-fat diet
- Are too sedentary
Additionally, many people have what is called essential hypertension. It has no noticeable causes, except perhaps heredity. In other words, hypertension can run in families. Healthcare providers ask for details about your family’s medical history, so they understand the possible impact of genetics on your health.
What Is Healthy Blood Pressure?
A blood pressure reading is composed of two numbers expressed as a ratio. The top number represents the pressure exerted on the arteries when the heart beats, or pumps blood. The bottom number represents the pressure exerted on the arteries when the heart is resting. These numbers are called the systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) pressures.
Your healthcare provider will tell you that a healthy blood pressure is 120/80 or less. As those numbers increase, the workload on the cardiovascular system, and in fact, on the entire body, also increases.
Managing High Blood Pressure
If you wish to prevent or manage high blood pressure, you should follow your provider’s advice closely. Likely, they will advise some changes such as losing weight, exercising, and consuming a low-fat, low-salt diet. Stress management through relaxation techniques, prayer, meditation, deep breathing and activities such as yoga is also key.
Also, you should check in with your provider periodically for an in-office blood pressure evaluation. You should also do it at home with a monitoring kit found in most pharmacies.
Finally, many people need certain medications to control their blood pressure. It’s important to take these prescription drugs as prescribed and to never skip doses.
High Blood Pressure Treatment in DeSoto, TX
At Pivot Healthcare Company, our provider, nurse practitioner Crystal Capler, is here to serve you. She is passionate about preventive healthcare and management of chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure.
To learn more about hypertension, call her DeSoto, TX, office for a consultation: (214) 242-9316, or request your visit through our online form. Take control of your blood pressure and other important aspects of your health and well-being.
