Medical Advice for High Blood Pressure

Advances in research have improved management of high blood pressure. What we once thought was an acceptable level of blood pressure measurement has changed. We know that a combination of medication and lifestyle management are necessary to maintain healthy blood pressure readings in order to prevent heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, as well as reducing our risk for metabolic syndrome.

Significance

• High blood pressure causes harm. Many people ignore higher blood pressure readings simply because they don't feel sick.
  Two types of high blood pressure exist--essential and primary hypertension. You can have high blood pressure for years without knowledge. Engage in a program of regular health screening. You can't treat high blood pressure if you don't know about it. Be proactive about reducing your risks for disease complications later in life. Eventually, high blood pressure affects all of us, as our blood vessels age and become less pliable.

Effects

• When the heart pumps, it pushes blood against the arteries. When the arteries become narrow, there is a resistance to blood flow. Eventually, the blood vessels become damaged, causing plaque to form more easily, promoting heart attack. It's possible to weaken the major blood vessels, causing a bulge, or aneurysm, becoming life-threatening to from rupture and bleeding. Common sites of aneurysms are the abdominal aorta and the brain, leading to hemorrhagic stroke.

  One of the components of metabolic syndrome is high blood pressure (experiencing one of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome makes us more susceptible to the others), diabetes, weight gain, insulin resistance, and high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

  High blood pressure can also lead to heart failure. The ventricle of the heart enlarges from the constant resistance to blood flow, causing the pumping mechanism to become less effective. Once that happens, blood backs up, causing fluid to build up in the body. The symptoms are shortness of breath, weight gain and swelling. Eventually, quality of life is greatly affected. Heart failure is irreversible, and can also affect the kidneys as they try to keep up with demand.

Types

• Primary, or essential hypertension, affects 90 to 95 percent of people. There is no discernible cause. It is the type that occurs gradually, worsening with age.

  In a small majority of people, secondary hypertension is the result of an underlying condition. Tumors, kidney abnormalities, heart defects from birth, sleep apnea, and some medications that contain stimulants can contribute to gradual, but more commonly, sudden onset of secondary hypertension.

Identification

• Your doctor will sort out the cause of high blood pressure. Hypertension tends to run in families, and is associated with aging. Your blood pressure should be below 120/80. Some doctors suggest 115/75 as a healthier target. Small increases in blood pressure measurements can significantly increase heart disease risk. The first stage of high blood pressure includes readings ranging from 140 to 159 mm/Hg, with a diastolic blood pressure ranging from 90 to 99 mm Hg.

  Over age 50, systolic (the top number) becomes more important.
  Diagnosing high blood pressure may require several visits to the doctor. It's common to allow several visits, with more than one reading before treatment is started.

Prevention/Solution

• If you can't nip hypertension through lifestyle changes alone, medications are needed. Common medicines include alpha blockers, diuretics, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers and vasodilators. The choices are plentiful, and you should stick with your doctor's advice in attempts to find a blood pressure medicine that fits your lifestyle and causes the fewest side effects.

  Stop smoking if you have high blood pressure. Continuing to smoke will only make it worse. It's important to lose weight, possibly one of the most beneficial things you can do to help with blood pressure control. Learn to relax, and make a concerted effort to manage stress. One of the best ways to start is with exercise. Speak with your doctor before engaging in any new activities.

  Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. High on the list of helpers are grapes and beetroot juice. Olive leaf extract has also been found to help with reducing blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables provide us with nitric oxide, an enzyme that is essential for healthy blood vessels and cellular function. You can't get the synergy needed for optimal health from a supplement. Of course, watch your salt intake, an essential ingredient for controlling blood pressure.