About High Blood Pressure/Hypertension
What is High Blood Pressure or Hypertension?
High Blood Pressure, also known as hypertension, is an unstable or persistent elevation of blood pressure above what is considered the normal range. It is often called the “silent killer” because you can have it for years and never know it. Roughly, 50 million Americans have hypertension but about one-third of those are unaware of it.
Blood pressure is measured by the amount of blood your heart pumps and how much resistance to blood flow there is in your arteries. In the span of a day, it can vary; it increases with activity and decreases with rest.
Under current guidelines, a resting blood pressure reading of 120/80 is considered normal. You have high blood pressure if your resting blood pressure is consistently 140/90 or higher. A reading of 115/75 is considered the level above which your risk of cardiovascular problems begins to increase.
Even if you have no symptoms of hypertension, it is important to “know your numbers” and work with your physician to control high blood pressure, if you have it.
Left uncontrolled or untreated, you could face stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure.
What causes high blood pressure?
Sometimes a specific disease or cause can be identified, but if not, you may simply have primary hypertension. If a cause is found, high blood pressure is called secondary hypertension, meaning that the increased pressure is caused by medications; kidney, thyroid or adrenal disease; abnormal blood vessels; sleep apnea; illegal drug use; or a rise in blood pressure late in pregnancy.
What are the symptoms of high blood pressure?
For most, high blood pressure has no symptoms. Although many believe that dizziness, nosebleeds or headaches are indicators of high blood pressure, these generally only occur when high blood pressure has reached a potentially life-threatening level.
There are signs that may lead to uncontrolled high blood pressure, including:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Weakness
- Frequent urination
- Excessive sweating
- Muscle cramps
What are the risk factors for high blood pressure?
There are four areas of unmodifiable risk factors that cannot be controlled:
- Age – As you get older, you’re more likely to develop high blood pressure.
- Race – African-Americans are twice as likely to develop hypertension as Caucasians, and Native Americans tend toward higher blood pressure.
- Sex - Until age 55, men generally have high blood pressure more often than women. From ages 55 to 64, their rates are about the same. At age 65 and older, women have a higher risk for hypertension than men.
- Family history – If you have a history of high blood pressure in your family, you have a higher risk for developing it.
Some chronic conditions bring a higher risk of hypertension, such as sleep apnea, diabetes and high blood cholesterol.
There are several risk factors, however, that are modifiable:
- Stress
- Tobacco use
- Salt intake
- Obesity
- Lack of physical activity
- Low potassium intake
- Excessive alcohol use
How is high blood pressure diagnosed?
Usually, a routine physical exam will include checking your blood pressure. You can do it yourself, using an inflatable arm cuff connected to a pressure-measuring device. You should take it more than once because blood pressure usually varies throughout the day.
If you or your physician determine that your blood pressure is high, you need to take steps to control it to prevent later damage to your body’s vital organs, and risk of stroke, heart attack or heart failure, kidney failure and other problems.
What treatment is available?
The appropriate treatment for each person’s high blood pressure differs. For some, lifestyle changes can reduce it sufficiently. In some cases, medication may be necessary. There is a wide variety of drugs, including diuretics, beta blockers, ace inhibitors and calcium channel blockers. The appropriate prescription must be determined by your physician.
You can help by making sure you begin a heart-healthy lifestyle that includes eating right, watching your weight, including regular, aerobic exercise in your schedule, avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol and caffeine. Reduce your stress level and make sure you get plenty of sleep.
Mercy also offers its Heart-to-Heart program through the Mercy Women’s Center to help women fight heart disease. It includes a personalized assessment to determine if you are at risk. Call for an appointment today.
For more information on hypertension and heart conditions from the American Heart Association, click here www.americanheart.org or the American Society of Hypertension at www.ash-us.org.
