Prognosis for High Blood Pressure

Your blood pressure indicates how much blood your heart pumps and the resistance of the arteries against its flow. When your pressure is higher than normal, health problems can ensure, and it may even cause death. However, when caught in time, hypertension is treatable.

The Facts

• Hypertension is another term for high blood pressure, which is can be caused by a poor diet, kidney disease, narcotic abuse, and certain prescription drugs. According to Mayo Clinic, normal blood pressure is considered lower than 120/80 mm Hg.

Types

• According to Mayo Clinic, there are two types of hypertension: primary and secondary hypertension. Primary hypertension is the most common and gradually develops over time. Secondary hypertension is the most dangerous of the two, as it appears suddenly and at a higher level.

Treatment

• Once diagnosed with hypertension, your doctor will likely prescribe high blood pressure medications for you and conduct regular blood pressure tests. If you have secondary hypertension, you may take and ECG (electrocardiogram) test to measure the electrical activity in your heart. Untreated hypertension may also lead to stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure.

Outlook

• According to Medline Plus, hypertension is curable with a combination of lifestyle changes, like a healthy, reduced sodium diet, and prescription medications.

Warning

• If you experience chest tightness, an irregular heart beat, confusion, or vision changes, call your doctor or go to the emergency room immediately. These symptoms may be indicative of extremely high blood pressure and can be deadly.