What is Hypertension?
Also, known as high blood pressure, it is a condition that happens when the pressure of blood in the arteries is higher than normal.
What Causes Hypertension?
- Sedentary lifestyle: Physically inactive People tend to be more at risk of high blood pressure
- Ageing: As you grow older the more you are at risk of high blood pressure. From age 65 and above the risk increases.
- Being overweight: Excessive body weight increases the risk of high blood pressure. People who suffer from obesity also stand a higher risk of high blood pressure.
- Family history: People who have had relatives or a family history of high blood pressure should be most careful as they risk having the diseases and risk of having the diseases also.
- Pregnancy: Pregnancy can also increase your blood pressure.
- Chronic health conditions: Some health conditions like Kidney problems or heart disease can also increase blood pressure.
- Use of birth control pills
- Poor Diet
- The use of Tobacco
- Alcohol consumption
- Stress
What Are The Symptoms of Hypertension?
High blood pressure is not known with any symptom, hence it is called the “silent killer”. On some occasions for very high blood pressure, the patient bleeds in the nose or has headaches.
How Is Hypertension Diagnosed?
To check your blood pressure, your doctor would use a sphygmomanometer. When the test is conducted you get two readings, the first is called the Systolic Pressure and the second is Diastolic Pressure.
Systolic measures the pressure in the arteries when the heartbeat contracts while the Diastolic measures the arterial pressure when the heart relaxes.
What is normal blood pressure?
A normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80, i.e the systolic is 120 or below and diastolic is 80 or below.
Prehypertension
This is when your blood pressure is between 120/80 and 139/89. You are at risk of cardiovascular disease as such need to do serious lifestyle changes. Your doctor would prescribe drugs that would bring down the blood pressure to normal.
Hypertension
When the readings are constantly 140/90 and above, you should visit your doctor, he would prescribe drugs to bring the levels down as well encourage necessary lifestyle changes that would help.
Hypertension Crisis
If your blood pressure is 180/120 you should call for help immediately as such a reading could mean your organs are starting to fail. It is important to stay calm and await help.
Treatment of High Blood Pressure
To lower your blood pressure your doctor may recommend one or more of these categories of drugs. Although, some like Aliskiren should not be taken with angiotensin-converting enzyme or angiotensin II receptor blocker because of the risk of stroke.
- Doxazosin or Prazosin
- Carvedilol or Labetalol
- Acebutolol or Atenolol
- Spironolactone or Eplerenone
- Aliskiren
- Hydralazine or Minoxidil
- Clonidine, Guanfacine and Methyldopa
How to Prevent Hypertension
The following measure could help prevent high blood pressure;
- Maintain a healthy diet,
- Increase physical activities,
- Constantly monitor blood pressure,
- Avoid too much stress,
- Do not smoke,
- Limit alcohol intake,
- Maintain a healthy weight,
- See your doctor, so he can recommend medications to lower blood pressure.
Recommendations
For you to lead a successful and rewarding life your health is a vital key to achieving it. The more reason certain positive lifestyle changes must be adopted, from diet to exercises and everything in-between. At Agape Biomedic Clinic, our professionals are trained to hold your hands through these processes. You can book a visit now.
