What is high blood pressure?
Your arteries are designed to take a certain amount of pressure as your heart pumps blood throughout your body. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, exceeds that amount and, over a long period, can cause damage to your arteries and bring on heart disease or stroke.
In a healthy adult, a normal blood pressure reading should fall at about 120/80. If you register 140/90 more than twice, you likely have high blood pressure. It is important to have yourself checked regularly because most people with high blood pressure do not show any outward symptoms.
What causes high blood pressure?
High blood pressure is caused by several factors, including:
- A family history of hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease
- Age -- you are more likely to have high blood pressure over the age of 55
- Weight issues or obesity
- Smoking and high alcohol consumption
- Inactivity
Some foods and medications also contribute to high blood pressure, such as salt and ibuprofen.
What are the effects of high blood pressure?
Over time, the constant pressure on your arteries may lead to any of the following conditions:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Kidney failure
- Vision issues
- Heart failure
How is high blood pressure treated?
One of the most effective ways to treat high blood pressure is making healthy lifestyle changes, including:
- Eating healthy foods with less salt
- Regular exercise
- Quitting smoking and consuming less alcohol
- Maintaining a healthy weight
There are also medications that have been very successful in controlling hypertension, including:
- Diuretics to help your kidneys eliminate sodium and water and reduce blood volume
- Beta blockers that open your blood vessels so your heart beats slower and less forcefully
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) that help relax blood vessels
- Calcium channel blockers that relax the muscles of the blood vessels and slow your heart rate
- Renin inhibitors to slow the production of renin by the kidneys, which has an effect on blood pressure
Depending on your history and lifestyle, Dr. Ahad-Daman can find a combination of treatments that will best suit your case.
