Hypertension: What You Need to Know

It isn’t easy to detect the high blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension. Most of the time you don’t even feel it. However, if you’re one of 78 million Americans who suffer from hypertension, or among the 70 million who have high blood pressure or (higher-than-healthy blood pressure) It’s crucial to know the impact of hypertension on your health and get started today on bringing your blood pressure levels down to healthy levels.

The force of blood is the force exerted by blood against the walls that line your arterial arteries. It fluctuates throughout the day. It falls when you’re asleep or relaxed increasing naturally in the morning and increasing in the short-term when stressed, anxious or engaged in exercise. When your blood pressure levels are excessively, it may be a cause of damage, stiffening, or weakening blood vessels. This can increase your chance of suffering heart attacks; double the chance of having strokes; and increase your risk of suffering from heart failure , loss of vision and kidney issues as well as circulation issues such as peripheral artery diseases (which causes discomfort in your legs) as well as weakening your bones and lead to the erectile dysfunction of men.

Risk Factors and Causes

You could be at risk of hypertension if you smoke or are overweight, consume an unhealthy diet low in fruits and vegetables and with a lot of salt and fat or drink alcohol in excess and are under stress for a long time or don’t engage in much physical exercise. Some causes of hypertension cannot be controlled–including your genes and your race (African-Americans are at a higher risk). The aging process also plays a factor. Even if it is not the case that you have hypertension at the age of 55-65 the risk of becoming a victim is 90 percent.

“But doctors do not think that hypertension is inevitable or not treatable as we the advancing years,” says Samuel Durso, M.D., director of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at Johns Hopkins.

In a Johns Hopkins study of 975 men and women who had hypertension, healthy lifestyle choices led to 40 percent of them stopping taking blood pressure medicines. Research has also shown the benefits of lifestyle modifications to decrease the risk of hypertension among African-Americans as well as other groups with an higher risk of genetic inheritance.

Prevention

A healthy lifestyle can be an effective defense against hypertension and its harmful consequences. These measures can decrease your risk, as well as reduce your blood pressure in the event that you have hypertension or prehypertension.

You can lose a few pounds. Extra weight, and especially belly fat, which is stored in your abdomen, can increase blood pressure through increasing blood volume and also altering the balance of hormones that regulate pressure. “Even tiny weight loss can be a huge difference,” Durso notes, in reference to research which shows that the loss of only 7.7 pounds can reduce the risk of hypertension by fifty% or more.

Reduce the amount of alcohol you drink. “Moderating alcohol consumption is crucial,” Durso says. “If you’re a man who drinks at least two drink per day, or a woman who drinks greater than one beverage per day, reduce your intake.” Although a bit of alcohol can relax the arteries, drinking too much appears to cause the opposite.

Get moving more. Exercise and other types of physical activities aid in keeping arteries flexible. They can also lower activity in the sympathetic nerve system , which can enlarge blood vessels and increase blood pressure. If you have already been diagnosed with hypertension, exercising regularly is enough to lower your numbers by between 8 and 10 points, as per the American Heart Association.

Keep your blood pressure in check. Calcium, magnesium as well as potassium (found in fat-free and low-fat dairy products such as yogurt and milk as well as in dried beans and in the produce) assist your body in controlling blood pressure. Insufficient amounts can increase the blood pressure. Also, high levels of sodium found in many processed foods–by causing your body to retain water (which increases the volume of blood) and also tightening the blood vessels that are small. The saturated fat (found in cheese, meat butter, butter, dairy products with full fat as well as many processed food items) can also increase blood pressure.

Stop smoking cigarettes. Smoking can damage arteries and increase the risk of developing heart disease. When you smoke cigarettes smoking, the chemical compounds in tobacco products increase blood pressure, too.

Reduce tension. It’s not known if the mind-body treatments have a long-lasting impact on blood pressure or lower the risk of developing it, but it is well-known that your body’s response to stress produces hormones that temporarily increase blood pressure. You’ll be more comfortable and will be able to implement other changes that are healthy by regularly practicing techniques to relax your mind, such as breathing exercises, progressive relaxation , and exercises for fitness. One method, meditation is proven to lower the risk of strokes and heart attacks in those with elevated blood pressure.

Diagnostics and Treatment

To bring your blood pressure to a safe level, your physician will likely suggest healthy lifestyle changes, medication , or both. “The choice to start blood pressure medication — and the amount and type prescribed by your physician will be based on the level of your blood pressure” Durso explains. “If you are suffering from prehypertension, or you have blood pressure that is slightly elevated, lifestyle changes might be the first thing to consider. In the range of 5 or more of body fat, decreasing sodium intake, adjusting your diet and exercise routine typically result in lower blood pressure. In the event that your blood pressure remains high than normal, your physician will recommend these changes in conjunction with blood pressure medication.”

There are six major kinds of blood pressure medication:

Diuretics help the body to eliminate excess sodium and water.
Beta blockers lower your heart rate as well as the flow of blood, which reduces blood pressure.
Vasodilators, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) and calcium-channel blockers all work by relaxing constricted blood vessels.

“Your doctor will determine the medication that is right your needs,” Durso says. “Often doctors prescribe more than one drug to manage blood pressure. There are medicines that operate on different mechanisms to lower your blood pressure. Also, your physician may be able to recommend lower doses of medications and lower the risk for adverse reactions, by combining three or two medicines.”

Two essential things you should be aware of about your treatment

Your doctor could increase the dose slowly. “It could take anywhere from a period of between a month and six weeks in order to reduce your blood pressure by gradually increasing the doses of your medication,” Durso notes. “Lowering your blood pressure excessively rapidly could result in dizziness, and also increase the chance of falling.”

Report side effects. “Don’t stop taking medications by yourself,” warns Durso. “Call or schedule an appointment with your doctor about any side effects that you may be experiencing. The doctor might be able to suggest adjustments or change the medication you are taking.” The side effects could include fatigue and cold feet or hands and depression, as well as impotence and sleep disorders or heartbeat irregularities, as well as dry cough.

Living with

The majority of people with high blood pressure experience no signs. This can make staying on the right track with your healthier lifestyle choices and medications difficult. You may not even notice the impact. These tips can assist you in managing the blood pressure you experience on a regular basis:

Make use of a reminder system for your medication. An everyday pill dispenser and digital pill containers that sound when it’s time to take the next dosage, or a note on your fridge–whichever reminding system is most effective for you. One in two patients with hypertension fail to follow the prescriptions for their medication which could increase your risk of stroke, heart disease and other health issues.

Monitor at home. “You have the highest crucial part of the blood pressure control team. A blood pressure monitor at home will let you know whether your lifestyle and medications adjustments are working, and will help you maintain your health,” Durso says. “You can buy cheap monitors at pharmacies.”

Visit your doctor according to the recommendations. “Your doctor might want to visit you at least every three or four months during the first few years following your diagnosisto make certain that your medication and lifestyle adjustments are effective and to adjust your lifestyle,” Durso says. “For people whose blood pressure is managed well and monitors it in their home environment, having a visit every six months is adequate. In the event that your blood pressure falls within the normal range and you don’t require medication, you might only require a recheck once each two years.”

Be aware of highs and lows. Sometimes , blood pressure medication can decrease your blood pressure to a great extent. If you are experiencing symptoms of low blood pressure – dizziness blurred vision, fainting, nausea, etc., you should consult your doctor. However when you notice that your Systolic (top) number is 180 or more or the diastolic (bottom) number is 110 or more, seek immediately medical attention.

Research

Johns Hopkins experts continue their research into understanding and treating high blood pressure with a view to improved health for patients today. The research that you can access includes the following results:

Link established between taking blood pressure medicines and the chance of developing dementia. A study from 2013 of 3,000 people over the age of 65, that was published in Neurology, Johns Hopkins researchers discovered that people who took diuretics ARBs as well as ACE inhibitors were 50 percent less at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease .

The intensive treatment reduces blood pressure among African-American males. Urban African-Americans are at the highest risk of developing untreated hypertension, which can have fatal consequences. In a five-year study of men from Africa who were between 21 and 54years old, Johns Hopkins researchers found that taking medication, regular medical visits at home and visits to the clinic helped hypertension reduction of the participants significantly.
For Caregivers

If you’re the spouse or caregiver for someone who suffers from high blood pressure Here’s how you can assist.

Find out how you can help in the administration of medications. You can offer “time to take medication” reminders, and assist your loved one to take prescribed medication when it is they are required.

Encourage healthy endeavors. A positive attitude can encourage your loved one to keep it up. However, trying to manage the behavior could backfire. If you notice that your loved ones aren’t making positive changes, ask them how you can assist.

Make a commitment to being healthier Together. Couples who take on losing weight and exercising together could be more likely to stay with their goals. The process of transforming your habits with each other can be motivating and can lead to a friendly competition. It’s comfortable, since you’re both eating the same meals and adhere to the same workout routine.

Definitions

The blood vessels (veh-suls) is the system of flexible tubes –arteries capillaries, veins and veins that carry blood throughout the body. Oxygen and nutrients are transported via arteries to tiny thin-walled capillaries, which feed cells and take up waste materials, including carbon dioxide. Capillaries carry the waste into veins, which transport their blood and return it to your lungs and heart and lungs, where carbon dioxide is released through the breath you exhale.

Dementia (di-men-sha) is a loss of brain function, which could be caused by a range of brain disorders. The symptoms include forgetfulness, impairment of thinking and judgement as well as personality changes, anxiety and loss of emotional control. Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and a lack of circulation of blood to brain could all contribute to the development of dementia. Many forms of dementia are irreversible.

Diastolic (die-uh-stah-lick) blood pressure: The 2nd, or lowest, number in the reading of blood pressure. Diastolic blood pressure is a measure of the amount of blood flowing through the arteries during times when the heart is at ease between heart beats. A healthy reading is typically less than 80 millimeters Hg. A higher reading could indicate that you suffer from elevated blood pressure, or may be at risk of developing it.

Heart failure occurs when the heart can’t supply enough blood to meet the body requires, due to it’s not filled completely or pump enough force. High blood pressure, diabetes heart disease, diabetes and valve issues can lead to heart failure. A heart failure does not necessarily mean that the heart is close to stopping. Lifestyle changes and medications may help reduce the symptoms.

Peripheral arterial disease (puh-rif-er-uhl ahrtah-ree dih zeez) The accumulation of cholesterol and fat that are known as plaque in the arteries of your arms, legs or head. It can also affect internal organs such as the head. This decreases blood flow which causes discomfort, numbness, and a painful, aching sensation while taking a walk or climbing steps. Peripheral arterial disease may increase the risk of slow-healing illnesses, too. The treatment options include stopping smoking, and managing cholesterol, blood pressure as well as blood sugar.

Saturated fat is a type of fat that is abundantly found in butter full milks, frozen ice-cream full-fat cheeses, fatty chicken skin, meats and coconut and palm oils. Saturated fat can raise the levels of dangerous for your heart LDL cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. It also hinders the body’s ability to easily absorb blood sugar. The reduction of saturated fats can reduce the risk of developing heart disease.

Sympathetic nervous systems: the nervous system which triggers”fight or flight “fight or flee” response , and helps you prepare for an emergency or stress. It is responsible for preparing the body to take action by raising blood pressure, heart rate, and alertness. The parasympathetic nervous system of the body performs the opposite. It reduces breathing and heart rate, creating feelings of relaxation.

Systolic (sis-tall-ick) blood pressure: The highest, or the first number on the blood pressure reading. Systolic blood pressure measures the pressure that is felt in the arteries when a heartbeat occurs. Most people have an ideal systolic blood pressure reading is lower than 120 mm Hg. The rising blood pressure in the systolic area could suggest that the arteries are becoming stiff or there is a accumulation of plaque.